Rakshasas of Grom
by Teemuu
Summary: Terrible malevolent spirits are plaguing the City of Grom! Who can stop them? Perhaps the self described, dashing and handsome Martinez...and those other guys that hang out with him.
1. Chapter 1

Young Prince Lalit scowled as his covered palanquin halted. The heir of the Vinnraj state of Nashput motioned to his major domo to see what the problem was. It was bad enough he was "visiting" his uncle in Grom City, a cesspool the locals called their capital in the inspired named foreign country of Grom, but it was even worse that he now had to suffer prolonged contact with the lower castes . The Prince simply wanted to visit his uncle's manor near the harbor. It was set upon a cliff and it offered a magnificent view of the ships as they entered the busy port. Despite the lack of beauty from the rest of the city, the young prince enjoyed watching the myriad of vessels sailing in and out of the busy harbor as he continued his studies. It was a tranquil sight, the only thing that broke the monotony in this dreary country.

Lalit watched with disdain as the commoners outside his litter stared and gawked at him. His aristocratic blood boiled as he suffered their curious glances. It was bad enough they didn't speak any proper tongues, but it was even worse he had to endure hearing their chatter. He knew they were barbarians that did not know their place in their world, and hoped his exile in this land of savages would soon be over.

"What is the cause of this delay?" Lalit asked in a soft voice. His voice might not have carried through the sounds of the crowds around him, but the onus was on his servant to hear him not for him to project his voice.

"It appears that a wagon is blocking our path, oh enlightened one. ", responded the major domo curtly.

Lalit smiled, he enjoyed being given the honorific "enlightened one" . He was only a boy and he knew his scholarly pursuits had not earned him such a title , but he thought it was simply a matter of time. All his tutors said he was bright and receptive, and they said it was only a matter of time before he produced his own brilliant treatises, a sentiment that Prince Lalit agreed with.

As Lalit fumed silently a sudden scream broke the air.

The Nashput prince froze as he watched the crowds disperse. From his peripheral vision he could see his guards being massacred by what appeared to be three maybe four dark robed cowled bandits. The prince's fear was replace by anger , as the cream of his uncle's soldiers were slaughtered effortlessly. He saw some of the soldiers strike their attackers but their blows proved futile as the bandits shrugged off their strikes.

Lalit's major domo dove into the palanquin and landed across from the Prince. Lalit was furious, and would have struck the man if more pressing matters were not at hand .

"Do something you worm! " , screamed the prince as the situation outside deteriorated.

Lalit watched in fear as one of his soldiers was cut down . Another soldier gurgled as dark chains wrapped around him , causing him to fall to the pavement flopping like a fish. Two of the attackers approached the litter but seemed stopped by some sort of invisible barrier. They slashed and oddly seem to claw the palanquin , but it was to no avail. The prince stared in shock as he noticed something peculiar about his attackers, their hands were backwards.

"Rakshasa. ", he whispered in stunned disbelief. The demonic creatures were a plague on his beloved Vinnraj, and Lalit was shocked to have seen them here. The malevolent creatures were master shape-shifters and could take any humanoid form they choose. Indistinguishable from normal humans save that some portion of their body was inverted or backwards, the vile monsters often assumed a pleasing form to ambush and slay their victims.

Dark iron chains began wrapping around the palanquin , and sparks erupted where it met the nearly invisible defensive barrier.

"The protective wards won't hold them for long Enlightened one. I will distract them while you run to your uncle…..", exclaimed the major domo as he triggered a lever, resulting in metal blinds to instantly fall into place. A sudden green swirl of magic enveloped the old man as he took the form of Prince Lalit.

Lalit stared in shock then began to protest . How dare he take his royal visage! Was the domo a Rakshasa as well or simply a mage of some sort? Did the old fool expect him to run past those evil spirits? If he did run, where would he go to ? Although he had been in this wretched city for a few weeks, he still did not know the lay of the town. Was he expected to find succor amongst these barbarians? There were too many questions and demands on Lalit's tongue for him to voice properly.

Before the prince could express his objection, the now transformed major domo opened a glowing portal and Lalit vanished from the palanquin.

* * *

Martinez's troubles seemed to have vanished. The man with curly dark hair , perfectly trimmed mustache and goatee, and light brown skin practically danced into the inn he was staying at. He was thin but his frame gave off the impression he was a runner of some sort. The self-proclaimed duelist, tracker, demon hunter, and ladies' man had seen his fortune change for the better in the last few days. Not only had his small band of troubleshooters freed one of the Navy's vessels of a demonic possession, but some High Admiral wanted to meet him and personally thank him. The Grommers were considered good employers, if you can stomach the bureaucracy that they wallowed in, but with an Admiral's seal of approval he would be able to charge a hefty premium to all his other clients. He was given an invitation for himself and a guest to attend a high society gala of some sort, a perfect opportunity he thought, to impress the Lady Stille.

Lady Stille was not only a very eligible widow, but a minor noble from a backwater barony north of Lower Lueders called Veb. The place was plagued by an evil sage, his pet demon and an army of summoned monsters a year ago. Martinez and his trusty side kick Raoul were summoned to help and with the surprising help from the baroness's and one of her servants, managed to save the day. Since that time, Lady Stille had left her barony in the hands of her daughter in law, and had accompanied Martinez on a few adventures . Not that Martinez minded, for one thing the Baroness was quite gifted in divine magic and fairly competent in the arcane aspects of it as well, the duelist recalled her referring to herself as a theruge of some sort. For another thing the duelist felt some sort of chemistry or attraction towards her that he could not deny.

She was well mannered and pretty in some unnatural way. When he first met her, she took pains to disguise her youthful appearance with a grey wig and make up of all things, but she seemed to have abandoned this practice since they left. She had a hint of dark ancestry in her blood that gave her unnaturally long life and she had been ashamed , for obvious reasons, to flaunt it to her peasants. She was slightly above average in height, with a well-proportioned but still athletic physique that was obvious from even the modest dresses that she wore. She had pale skin and an almond shaped face with large almost piercing blue eyes. Her most notable characteristic was her thick shoulder length light blue hair. It was obviously an unnatural color but did not seem out of place especially from her apparent age, and the popularity of the youth dying their hair in Grom City these days. The only fault that Martinez could find in her was her annoying habit of name dropping and putting on airs. It was of course expected of minor nobles to behave in such a fashion , but from talking to her you would expect her to be the Queen of Grom or something.

Martinez was sure that he could dazzle her with the praise and accolades he would receive from the Admiral. She had been less than receptive of his attentions , but it was only a matter of time before his winning smile, natural good looks , and bad boy charm would win her over he mused.

As Martinez entered the Drunken Squirrel Inn, the busty waitress smiled and waved him towards an awaiting table. The duelist winked at the lass but refrained from slapping her inviting behind, the baroness might be watching and she probably would not enjoy such crassness. Martinez slid into an awaiting chair and greeted his companions.

"Looks like we're climbing the social ladder boys. Guess who's been invited to the Admiral's Gala tonight? ", he snorted at his companions. He did not see Lady Stille amongst them, but assumed she was simply resting in her room away from the noisy boisterous crowds.

His long time companion Raoul took a swig from his drink then grunted. The half giant was short for his race, but still towered over seven tall. He had over-sized features and large knotted muscles that were covered in scars and crude tattoos.

A small thin boy sitting next to the giant looked at the duelist curiously as he munched away on some form of fried potato dish. Jimmy was an orphan that had left the barony with Lady Stille in hopes of apprenticing under Martinez. The duelist wasn't receptive to the idea at first and sent him away, but it proved futile as Jimmy had constantly returned back to his side. Finally the duelist relented , but only at the urgings of his companion Raoul. The boy was too small to fight demons , but he had proved a very adept learner and had an uncanny ability for a human to detect the supernatural. "I've never been to anything that fancy before. Can I come? "asked Jimmy.

Martinez smiled and shook his head. "Sorry young Jim, this invitation is for me and the baroness. Sorry little guy, Hos before Bros. ",he chuckled cockily.

The half drunk man sitting across from Raoul and Jimmy snorted. Sir Jose had similar racial features to Martinez, but while the duelist presented a crisp professional image the knight came off as rough and haggard. Despite his coarse appearance, the knight's tabard was clean and well tailored . Even though they were at a tavern he wore his armor that was both polished and well maintained. Martinez had known Jose for a long time , ever since they were boys in the impoverished country of North Darokin. Their choices lead them on different routes but their paths crossed last year during the incident in the barony of Veb. Jose was a member of the proud and famous Order of the Husky, a band of knights known for their tenacity and bravery. The two North Darokiners were never very close, but they both considered the other as a friend. "_Madre_... sorry for you _esay_….Stille's _orando_ at a shrine or something. Said she won't be back till tomorrow morning. " grinned the man with his annoying provincial accent. It was the way most of the people of North Darokin talked, but Martinez found it prudent to distance himself away from that dialect. Jose often hid it well, but it often surfaced during battle or a bout of heavy drinking.

Martinez's jaw dropped . His plans for impressing the baroness had been dashed. His mind quickly scrambled for a back up plan . He wondered if that smiling waitress was available. He glanced behind him and saw the busty woman laughing on the lap of some local militia sergeant and quickly shelved those plans.

"Ooh…..can one of us come then?" asked Jimmy swiftly and mercenary like .

Martinez frowned but conceded. He would rather have the lady Stille wrapped around his arm, but failing that , at least one of his other companions could bask in their glory. "I'm going to my room to get changed and ready. You guys figure out amongst your selves who gets to tag along. ", sighed the duelist as he retired upstairs.

The three remaining companions stared amongst themselves. It was clear young Jim wanted to go, as the half giant and knight appeared uninterested at the prospect of rubbing shoulders with the upper class.

"This is a great opportunity. I hope all the important people in town go there. Grand Crusader Sarin, Admiral Douglass the Third, maybe even chancellor Reinhardt. I bet they'll have all sorts of yummy treats and exotic drinks there as well. ", chirped the boy enthusiastically.

At the mention of drink , Raoul and Jose's expressions changed dramatically. "We'll draw straws. ", stated the knight at the prospect of free booze.

* * *

"Did we really have to evade the harbor patrol? Avoiding the local tax collectors and getting into the city for free seems more trouble than its worth I think. ", commented the hooded man in a Vedic accent as he rowed the skiff towards the docks. It was not dark yet, but his mistress thought it prudent to reach the shore as soon as possible.

"Silence Aki, do not question my decisions. ", stated a similarly cloaked woman . Although she had lived in Vinnraj for over a century , Akash thought it amusing that she had not abandoned the barbaric mannerisms and speech of her northern descent.

"Yes Lady Ivory. I am but a humble servant, " responded Aki with an exaggerated flourish. Lady Ivory gave him a warning glare, and Akash knew that any other servant would be slain by her terrible spear, or rended by her impossible strength, but he enjoyed the fact that he was her favorite servant and could cross the line of decorum between her mistress.

"We are not avoiding taxes, we are avoiding spies. I have been to Grom City before, and it is a chaotic place where information is freely bought and sold. Even if the Rakshasa's are not directly monitoring the harbor, there could be those that can sell our arrival to them. An albino and a tiefling from Vinnraj should attract some attention don't you think? " sighed the Ivory Lady. Akash would have added giant after the term albino , but it was not easy to determine that from looking at his mistress. She was roughly six foot tall now , over a foot taller when they first met, small for a giant but Akash knew better. She told him that her current height was a curse and she used magic to release her full power. Akash believed her, he had seen her in battle , seen her unleash her fury and grow to her true height .

"Should you not give warning to Sardar Milan? He should be in the city and your old ally could aid us in our search for your foe. ", suggested Akash.

"No Aki. The Rakshasa's eyes and ears are everywhere. If Rajah Mogombo knew we were here , he might vanish before we track him again. We will instead strike at him swiftly before he can react. ", replied the Ivory Lady.

Akash knew she referred to herself only for the attack. The tiefling was a decent fighter but was merely support and back up for his mistress. Few could keep pace with her battle prowess .

Akash rowed towards the dock, his questions answered. When they nearly reached the dock , a thought came to his mind.

"Mistress. You mentioned you have been to the city before. If you can't seek aid from Sardar Milan, perhaps you can find allies amongst old friends or acquaintances? ", Akash asked.

The Ivory lady paused, and for a moment he thought he saw a smile crept up on his normally stoic mistress's face. She glanced upwards at the evening sky seemingly to read a phantom message that was not there."I did have friends here, dear ones, but that was over a century ago. I doubt any still live. ", she sighed.

* * *

Stille knew she was drawing curious glances from the other members of the congregation, but she drove it out of her mind as she prayed to her god. Koryis was a god of healing and hidden knowledge, and the sight of an armored woman in his halls drew the appropriate stares. Besides the power of her faith, Stille had much to owe to Koryis. The holy woman Lady Wayland rescued Stille from a brothel when she was only a slip of a girl. The House of Koryis, was the orphanage she was placed in and taught her both letters and numbers . More importantly it showed her a different path than the life of suffering she had grown up in. Lady Wayland was a great inspiration to Stille and she kept in contact with the holy woman even after she was given up for adoption. Though she had a distinct abyssal taint in her bloodline the childless couple that adopted her didn't seem to care. They just wanted a child and the then quiet demure Stille was the answer to their dreams.

Her adoptive father was a minor officer in the militia while her mother was a street busker that enjoyed mixed success with her singing. At the time, Stille wouldn't have suspected them from anything beyond what they had portrayed themselves as except for the constant string of friends and companions that would visit them. Warlords, Champions, Wizards , Crusaders, even Royal Adventurers seem to know her parents well and they held them in high regard. As a child, young Stille wasn't sure why these people would treat her parents with such reverence , but she delighted when they played with her.

As the years past, Stille learned to hide her deformities well. Such a dark background might have resulted in her death in some cultures, but it was marginally accepted in the relatively progressive empire of Grom. The general policy of the government was that if it could be taxed then it was legal. Despite the marginal protections of the law, she knew well the fear and anger she evoked when most people saw her fallen heritage. She told herself that she wasn't ashamed of her features but found things easier for herself when she used heavy dresses, occasional wigs and the skilled application of make up to conceal her "traits". It didn't seem to matter to her husband though and he embraced her fully regardless of her heritage.

Things had gone remarkably well after she married. Her husband was a minor noble in northern Grom , but he provided them with a comfortable lifestyle. They had several children who also had children, but none of them displayed any of her unique characteristics . The barony seemed like heaven compared to her less then humble beginnings at the brothel but of course all things had to end. One of the side effects of her bloodline was apparently long life. She despaired each day as she watched her husband grow old while she remained young. She assumed most of the citizens in the barony guessed she had half elven blood in her or used expensive age delaying magics, but her seclusion and her prodigious use of age altering disguises deflected all inquiries. In the end all she could do was brood and mourn for her departed husband in relative solitude, that is until the incident last year.

An evil sage that practiced in the dark arts and his pet demon, attempted to take over the barony . It was beyond her power to deal with so she requested aid from her church. They sent the self-absorbed demon hunter Martinez and his cohorts , but even they were over matched by the evil that confronted them. In the end, the crisis spurred Stille to assist them and Veb was saved. Stille found the conflict had broken her lethargy and accepted the fact she had to move on. She asked to join Martinez as a healer, and he eagerly accepted.

Though the sharp eyed Martinez eventually divulged her heritage , the demon hunter did not seem to mind. There were worse things than her that prowled the lands and after a less then amicable start, he was more than willing to accept her help. She also suspected that the man was enamored with her but she had kindly rebuffed his numerous advances. There was no chemistry between them and they would have been a preposterous couple since she was already a grandmother for Koryis's sake.

As Stille contemplated her past and present , screams from outside broke her concentration. The priestess rose up and reached for her heavy broad sword , drawing gasps of shock from the other parishioners . Though the clergy of Koryis offered no weapon and arms training, thankfully her father and friends provided it to her as a sort of bemused hobby. The rest of the congregation seemed more worried about her than the screams outside but a familiar old priest nodded knowingly to her as she exited the church. He intone a prayer of blessing on his old teacher , as Stille readied herself to confront whatever conflict laid outside.


	2. Chapter 2

Martinez grumbled at his companion. Instead of the lovely Stille at his side, he was stuck with the oafish Raoul. The duelist had hoped for a chance to impress the baroness with his charm and wit at the Admiral's gala, but instead he felt he was babysitting a large drunk.

"This is a swanky place. "remarked Raoul while marveling at the high marble architecture, the graceful arches , and the magnificent glass work that adorned the walls. Everything here screamed high class to Martinez , even the subdued flowery scents somehow being piped through its halls. "It's an open bar right?" the half giant added bluntly to his boss's displeasure.

Martinez growled , he wanted to part ways with his companion and attempt to at least mingle with the upper strata of Grommish society. Though to most foreigners, Grom appeared to be a plutocracy, rule by the rich, in reality it was a brutal meritocracy , rule by the most competent. Those in power tend to accumulate the most money rather then those with the most money accumulated the most power. It seemed a trivial distinction, but Martinez knew the difference well. Years of warfare and skirmishes against the monsters that surrounded that country tended to breed a more self reliant aristocracy. Even the withered emperor, Clovis the Crafter , was crowned due to his blood but kept his throne more from his artificer achievements . His home country of Darokin on the other hand, was a true plutocracy and he saw the stagnation in that system. Unlike the vibrant frontier nobility of Grom, the nobles of Darokin were soft , and knew only how to exploit others to make money . They literally threw gold at their problems in terms of crisis. They relied too much on foreign mercenaries and trouble shooters in Martinez's opinion. In Grom , the nobles were a harden lot . Though not all were competent , there were enough dangerous folks in the upper echelons of society to get the job done. The duelist was quite impressed by their resourcefulness and was all too eager to rub shoulders and make his mark among these important and powerful people.

Recently the Grommish naval fleet had secured several victories against their long time enemy, Gnomar, recently, and Admiral Edmund was holding this gala to celebrate some of his senior officer's successes . More importantly it was to remind the people of Grom which military branch had succeeded while the others either failed or were stalemated. Tactically , the gnomish fleet was still relatively whole, but several strategic ports and supply depots were denied them in the recent campaign. The enemy was forced to regroup and consolidate their position, which in effect caused them to abandon much of their military gains inland. It did not signal an end to the war, but almost everyone foresaw a ceasefire was imminent.

This of course caused those that attended this party to be in a happy mood. The war had dragged on too long, and the people longed to resume their lives. Though Grom had a long martial tradition, its people were more industrious then militant. With the end of the war nearing, Martinez could feel an optimistic feeling in the air . Peace meant a new round of profits, and now was the time to secure some future contacts or possibly a hefty retainer . Everyone needs a demon hunter sooner or later.

Before Martinez could begin his crude networking, a blue clad servant appeared before him. "Martinez …and friend…from North Darokin?" he asked.

The duelist eyed the man suspiciously but nodded.

"Admiral Edmund wishes to see you in his private quarters." Stated the man and politely waved for the duelist and the half giant to follow him.

Martinez looked at the crowds of nobility and government officials and noted that Raoul stuck out like sore thumb . He was dressed in a simple blood stained tunic and trousers made of a heavy material that one would find on a dock. Despite its crude appearance, thankfully its rips were sewn by the baroness recently else he would have looked even more out of place. Martinez on the other hand , always considered his clothing choices impeccable, he was disappointed that his associate did not behave in the same way. He was dressed in a dark blue doublet with billowing sleeves in the manner that most nobles and swashbucklers had. His pants were tight and snug and had a stylish black and purple checkered pattern on them. He had hoped to abandon his socially stagnant acquaintance quickly to avoid association with him but it seemed inevitable that they would be seen together. He decided to quickly followed the man to shorten the length of time he had to hang around with his companion.

Perhaps the Admiral was going to personally thank him for ridding one of his vessels of the sea demon but he suspected it was another job offer. He wondered why they would conduct such business at the gala and not in his offices during the day.

After a long trip through various trophy rooms and display cases of war memorabilia of past campaigns the servant stopped a large oak door. The duelist expected a small office lied behind it , but was pleasantly surprised by a spacious opulent sitting room. Inside was Admiral Edmund who was engaged in a chat with a foreign man. The man was an older gentleman . He was short with brown skin, darker than Martinez's . Despite being dressed in silks and jewels, he still radiated a masculine dominant image.

"Ahh…Martinez. So glad you could come to my party. I was telling Sardar Milan here some of your exploits." stated the elderly Admiral. The naval commander , was a thin man with wisps of grey hair on his balding head. He wore a traditional red Grommish uniform that seemed too big for his light frame. Despite his frail appearance, the man projected an aura of command that Martinez had seldom encountered. The admiral waved at two guards who promptly left the room and closed the door behind them.

The man in silks pointed his chin at Martinez , a sign of acknowledgement rather than a greeting. If it was anyone else the duelist might have gotten mad and done something he might have regretted, but fortunately Martinez had dealt with these people before.

From his dress and title , the duelist assumed the man was a noble from the numerous city states in Vinnraj. The inhabitants there were an ancient people, dating almost as far back as the Empire of Dawn. The city states had many collective names, but the most common were the Lands of Mystery , the Impossible Kingdoms and the Isles of Gold. The people there regulated themselves into rigid castes, and it was their habit to not greet people from lower classes in a friendly manner. Despite the cultural insult Sardar Milan had bestowed on the duelist , Martinez let it slide. The kingdoms of Vinnraj were a wealthy land, and the duelist swallowed his pride in an attempt to get his hands on some of that gold.

"Lets get this over with. I assume we weren't invited to this party to mingle . I assume you're not here to listen to any of my demon hunting tales. You guys have a job for me? " asked the Duelist directly while glancing nervously at the roof. He noted that Raoul had spotted…no smelled …..something there as well and the two exchanged inquisitive glances.

The Admiral smiled, but the Sardar seemed less than impressed. The noble rapped his fingers along an ornate box for awhile till he finally sighed. "Yes. Before I tell you what I wish, I think it best if you know a bit of my situation. I am a minor noble from a royal bloodline, from the grand city of Nashput. Through hard work and luck, I've managed to amass a vast fortune , mostly in foreign trade. However, due to my father's unfortunate choice of my mother , I will never be Maharaja , or king if you prefer, but I am still fiercely loyal to my family . Roughly twelve years ago, my half brother's daughter, the princess Charvi was slain on a hunting trip. We found her remains and were horrified to find her heart had been ripped out. We blamed demons in the forest, and literally burned the jungle to the ground in retribution. Around ten years ago the Prince Rajeev was also slain during a trip to the market, his heart also ripped out. Sensing a pattern and expecting the worse, we immediately sent Princess Sampada to one of my foreign holdings in Barkwark for safe keeping. We took every precaution , including renting a castle, and hiring a small army to protect her. Sadly , the army was killed, the castle burned to the ground with all in it. We suspect that this was some sort of attack on the noble heirs of our family and immediately sent into hiding the last legitimate heir to our family, Prince Lalit. We faked his death in our home province of Nashput and exiled him to various foreign lands in the last decade. This plan seemed to have worked till an incident last year. Prince Lalit's major domo had uncovered a plot against his charge while they were staying in the distant city of Thyatis. He swiftly extracted the prince and headed to Grom City , our nearest holding and thankfully one that I was currently staying at. I am overseeing his protection here, but it is only a temporary measure. We need to get him safely back to our stronghold in Nashput . It may not be the wisest course of action, but he is almost of age to claim his birthright. Thus allowing him to claim leadership of the holy temples and unleash their ...less then cooperative might on his foes. This is if he can make it back home for his coronation. ", explained the Vinnraj noble.

Martinez nodded while staring at the ornate box on the table. It was made of some dark wood, but he noted that the artisans framed and reinforced it with what appeared to be rough iron. "I see, you wish to hire my companions and myself as an escort ? I guess your major domo fellow uncovered demons in Thyatis."

Sardar Milan shivered at the mention of the word demon . "Yes, we always suspected it was some sort of evil spirit or at least monster that would murder children and tear their hearts out, but the major domo found direct evidence of involvement by "outsiders" from one of the lower planes. Mainly a spirit native to Vinnraj , a creature called…"

"A Raksasha ! "interrupted Martinez with a dramatic declaration. The room fell silent save for the clinking of glasses made by Raoul , as the half giant had wandered to the well stocked bar in the room.

"Yes. I've been told you've dealt successfully with these creatures before . ", noted Milan.

Martinez shrugged. "I've killed a pair , engaged in a simple plot to replace a nobleman and his wife in the Rock of Doug. From what I know , they are very intelligent animal headed spirits, that are motivated only by hedonist pleasures and the accumulation of power. Not unlike most nobles, save for the fact that they feed on human guts. ", noted the duelist. " Not only are they competent mages, but they are resistant to spells and all weapons , saved specialized ones. They are master shape changers but they can be identified by some odd backward appendage they each possess . "

The admiral's face contorted to what could only as a frowning look of approval, but the Sardar shook his head. "I see you are well informed of my foes, but sadly I do not wish to employ to you. Admiral Edmund has assured me that you would be up to the task that so many others have failed at, but sadly you have failed my test."

Raoul snorted from across the room as he quaffed a shot of Agave worm spirits he had found amongst the Admiral's well stocked bar. Martinez smiled at the Vinnraj noble. "Oh you mean the old "spot the demon" in the room trick? I would have pointed it out earlier, but it seemed such a crude ploy. You have one in the cold iron box, I assume a quasit or something of that nature…"

"An imp…."corrected Raoul from across the room as he began pouring another shot.

Martinez shot a warning glare to his companion. The half giant needed a kick to show him who's boss he thought, before he continued. "Also the two above us are particularly well hidden. I assumed they were a test right away since they did not attack while you two were alone. "

Martinez stopped as the room froze. The Admiral and the Sardar nervously looked up and saw nothing.

"What two on the roof? ", asked Admiral Edmund before the room exploded in violence.

* * *

"Its so unfair!", exploded Jimmy uncharacteristically. The small thin dark haired boy was normally quiet and reserved but his age showed as he ranted about his lost opportunity. "Raoul didn't even want to go, but he then drew a straw. There goes my chance to see the Admiral's personal palace, and to meet all the famous people of Grom City."

Sir Jose shrugged and reclined on his seat. " Listen nino, you only have yourself to blame. You shouldn't have mentioned free booze. Never…Ever…reveal everything you know, unless there's something in it for you. ", chortled the North Darokin knight at Jimmy's expense. "Look, what are you….12…13? They prolly won't let minors in anyways. Its probably an adult theme party."

"Whateva…and I've snuck into adult theme parties before. Its just booze and strippers. ", declared the young demon hunter apprentice.

Jose grew red. "Err…those are the parties Martinez throws. These high class guys are really swanky. I mean formal dancing, masquerades, maybe even some racy cabaret acts. ", explained the knight with a bored tone.

Jimmy shot a distrustful look at Jose. "This is …rubbish! I rather be there than stuck with you…a drunken knight. I'll go find my own fun.", the boy declared before racing out the inn.

"Err…come back, before the other guys return." shouted the knight . He then waved the busty waitress over . " Another bottle of this red stuff. I hope that boy doesn't get into too much trouble. "

* * *

Stille knew she was in trouble. When she exited the shrine and into the street, she saw four men wrapped in dark silks, wielding scimitars, attempting to break into an ornate wood and gold palanquin. A fifth man or creature seemed to be commanding dark chains telekentically and were wrapping them around the litter. The whole scene was framed by the tall stone and wood buildings of Grom City, in the evening sky. Despite the dusk, the area was well lit , by oil lamps and the occasional magical stone lamps. Most of the citizen had fled, but a few poked their morbidly curious heads out of windows and doors to watch the carnage. There were slain guards and porters strewn about, and even the corpses of what appeared to be innocent bystanders. The baroness noticed that despite their relentless strikes the attackers were unable to enter the litter.

"A ward of some sort. Most likely a spell protection the litter from evil. ", thought the baroness as she considered her options. She could hear the guards coming. She knew she operated better in a group as a support caster, rather than a front line spell slinger. It would be more prudent to assist the guards , but by the time they arrived the occupant of the palanquin might be slain. She couldn't allow that so decided to intervene directly.

"HOLY SMITE", she commanded, as she intoned one of her few offensive prayers . The area around the palanquin rippled with magic and was then bathed in a halo of divine light. Three of the scimitar wielding attackers scattered momentarily, and for a second Stille thought her tactic had worked. One of the darkly robed men fell to the ground clutching his eyes, screeching like a wild animal in pain. The other two seemed stunned for a few seconds but otherwise her spell had no noticeable effect on them.

The lead attacker scanned for the direction of their new foe , the one with the chains seemed undeterred from his task, while the remaining two backed up in surprise. Stille took the opportunity to telekentically push a peddler's cart in front of her and into the confused robed men. Though she guessed they were resistant to direct applications of magic, indirect uses such as a hurtling cart could still affect them. She rushed her incantation and poorly judged the structural stability of her projectile as it ripped apart and hurtled shards towards her foe. The planks and shards slammed into the lead robed man , but the other two nimbly leaped and rolled out of the way.

Even though she only struck one, Stille hoped that her attack would again scatter her foes. She was surprised when she saw the leader struck by the debris rise from the ground as if nothing had happened. Parts of his clothing were ripped away, and it revealed a stern dark skin man with a toned muscular physique. The man stared at Stille with his cat like eyes and the priestess felt a cold shudder run down her spine. The man then smiled evilly and for a second his visage faded into that of a tiger's before reverting back to his humanoid appearance. The priestess knew it was a taunt, not a failure of his magic, or an illusion to scare her.

As Stille contemplated what she was facing, one of the other two men charged at her with his scimitar raised. The priestess snapped back to attention and with practiced skill brought her shield to deflect the blow. The man or most likely creature was stronger then Stille, but thankfully not supernaturally strong. The angle she placed her shield dispersed most of her opponent's strength , and allowed her to lash out with her holy blade at him. Even though her opponent was quick, he over committed his earlier strike and allowed her to slash him in the chest before he could parry or block her weapon. Stille saw the holy light of her weapon burn her foe, but was disappointed when the rest of the blade bounced off his skin .

The priestess only had a second to contemplate her next action before another attacker struck her in the opposite side. The direction of the attack was too great for her to shift her shield in time, and she felt the blade slash into her ribs. Thankfully her dark iron breast plate absorbed or deflected most of the strike, but the curved blade still managed to gouge through the leather and mail joints of her armor.

Stille realized her position was untenable. Even though she had disabled one earlier with her smite, and their leader seemed uninterested in battle, the two on her were too fast , and worst yet seemed immune to most of her attacks. At best she could fight one at a time, but the current situation was beyond her skill. For a second she wished that giant and dependable Raoul, the swift and smart mouthed Martinez, or even the dour and deadly Jose was at her side. They were more suited to this sort of close quarter combat than she was.

The priestess ignored her wound and cautiously backed away from her foes. She considered running, but knew her faster opponents would swiftly pounce on her back. She hoped to at least make it to a corner and wall to shore up her defensive position. Her first attacker feinted a strike, hoping to draw her shield up, but Stille saw through the simple ruse. She instead blocked the second waiting attacker and slashed him for good measure as she retreated further back. She managed to intone a prayer of healing to heal her sides and was glad that her foes didn't use anything bizarre like poison, or cursed blades.

The lead attacker seemed to watch in interest at the affair, like a cat playing with its prey thought Stille. As the blinded robe man recovered, it shouted something in a language that surprised the priestess. Although her adopted father was a man of few skills, the one thing she found most impressive was his mastery of languages. Though her own repertoire of foreign tongues was a fraction of her sire's , she still recognized the shout as Vedic speech. Something along the lines of the " Blood food has escaped. " or perhaps the "Sacrifice has escaped" , she reasoned.

Stille glanced at the palanquin and noted it's door was slightly ajar. She reasoned that her distraction gave the victim a chance to flee. The robed attackers seemed to ignore the priestess and sniff the air. One of them seemed to have caught a scent and the rest followed him , as they leaped catlike onto the roofs above.

As one of the creature's facing Stille lept a way, the priestess was determined not to let it escape that easy. She lashed at it with her blade striking him squarely in the back. Though the holy blade did not penetrate his skin, it did burn him and cause him to fall to the ground. Stille hoped to take advantage of a fallen foe, but the attacker rolled towards the cobblestones as he fell, and managed to twist into a crouch as he landed. The priestess marveled at the agility of her foe, and wondered if it was a were tiger or something of that sort.

Her foe eyed her warily and shouted something into the night. Stille interpreted as "I will catch up." Before it turned its full attention to her.


	3. Chapter 3

Martinez fell backwards into his chair and rolled off in a smooth motion as the room descended into anarchy. The two dark silk figures had dropped whatever illusion or camouflage that hid them and fell amongst the people below when their subterfuge was revealed. A scimitar descended where the duelist's head was a few seconds ago but Martinez was well and away. The duelist noted that the other attacker was caught mid-air by Raoul and had his momentum painfully reversed and slammed into a table. Fine silver , rare flowers, and elegant crystal decanters were smashed and shattered from the impact. Scents and aromas normally reserved for the rich was splashed about as if it were a common bar brawl.

"Guards ! Save the Sardar! ", shouted the Admiral as he placed himself between the Vinnraj noble and the other assassin. Martinez was surprised that Edmund would place himself in such danger, especially for a self-professed merchant, unless of course his wealth was as fabulous as he claimed.

Martinez noted that the remaining assassin eyed Milan but also looked up to the roof . Was he thinking of escape or perhaps reinforcements, wondered the duelist. Regardless of his goal , the duelist revealed his hidden Arbalest from his sleeve. It had a light weight stock with dual retractable arms, to make it easily hidden , and Martinez had surprised more than one foe with his sudden ability to spring it into action. The duelist swiftly aimed and fired the weapon , the bolt striking his indecisive foe in the throat sending him sprawling to the ground.

As the duelist dispatched his foe, the assassin that Raoul had caught should have had his back broken and taken out of the battle from such a slam, but instead he hopped onto the table and hissed in animalistic fury as he attempted to find his bearings. The half giant was not impressed and grabbed a smashed bottle and impaled its face with it. His attacker weaved and avoided a direct hit, but the jagged glass still managed to slash his face.

The assassin roared in anger and Martinez saw that his face glimmered and faded into the visage of a hawk. The beast screeched and threw itself at Raoul. The half giant reacted by summoning a staff made of pure force and swung it full force at his attacker. The staff struck the bird man in the side, but it did not stop its jump. The creature fell into Raoul and began savagely pecking and raking him with it's beak and talons.

At that moment the guards that were waved away earlier burst into the room. They were shocked at what they saw , but quickly recovered and attempted to subdue the beast creature with their standard issue military clubs. Though Raoul and the assassin thrashed around the ground wildly, the guards strikes were precise as they battered the hawk man on the head and back.

"Asura ! ", shouted Sardar Milan finally, as the Admiral attempted to usher him out of the room. Martinez recalled from his brief knowledge of the Vedic tongue, that it meant evil spirit of some sort. Were these creatures Rakshasas? If they were , why did that one have a hawk head? He had only encountered cat headed ones in the past. Were there various types he was unaware of?

Before he could analyze a solution, Martinez's body suddenly bolted forwards, more out of instinct then thought. The assassin he supposedly dispatched earlier with a bolt in the throat ,got up and unleashed twin rays of flame at where the duelist was standing. His years of battle experience and training had narrowly saved him from a fiery fate. The duelist fired another shot at his foe, but it easily dodged the shot. Martinez saw that his opponent was far from dead, and was already leaping around the now burning room.

Martinez recalled that if their foes were Rakshasas then they would be hard to kill. It was bad enough they were shape changers, incredibly swift, skilled at arms, and competent magicians, but the fact that most magic deflected harmlessly off of them , and they needed specialized weapons to hurt made them dangerous opponents indeed. The duelist shot his foe earlier with a simple magic bolt , but obviously that had no effect. His mind scrambled to recall what he used to slay the last pair of Rakshasas he faced. It was such a pain to keep track of all the various types of weapon combos he frowned.

Martinez's mind raced. Cold iron? No that was mainly for fey and minor demons. Silver? No that was for lycanthropes and minor devils, though he did note the creature on Raoul was similar to a were bird of some sort. The duelist dismissed the notion as he remembered it was an odd combination. Holy silver? No that would be too obvious and didn't ring a bell.

Martinez scrambled as another pair of fiery rays were directed at him. He evaded one easily but the other caught him in the haunch. Although his leather garments absorbed some of the flames, he still felt his skin burn . He faced worse when he had to catch a pack of escaped nessian hounds last year, but knew he wouldn't be able to take another strike like that. He scolded himself for his poor memory. It was true that Rakshasas were not commonly encountered in the wilds of Grom, but he should of written down their weaknesses or something. He laughed at himself as he realized it was a point he had stressed to Jimmy in his training.

Wait..that was it. Pointy weapons, specifically blessed ones. Holy piercing weapons were needed recalled Martinez as yet another barrage of fire was directed at him. This time however , he was prepared and skillfully dodged them as they scorched and ignited the Admiral's sitting room.

As the duelist evaded the fires of his attacker, the hawk headed monster rose from the still form of Raoul and struck the guards battering him. One cruel talon tore through the armored torso of one guard and spilled his guts onto the floor, while the other slashed the other guard deeply across the arm, almost severing it. The creature screeched in victory as it turned it's attention to the defiant Admiral and cowering Sardar.

Martinez saw this and saw an opportunity. He turned his attention away from his own attacker and swiftly loaded two holy bolts into his trusty Arbalest. Though they were blessed by the demon blooded Stille , Martinez had no doubts about their effectiveness. Besides her eye catching good looks, she was one of the staunches allies he had ever had against the demons he often faced. As the hawk man attempted to pounce on both the Admiral and Sardar, the prone Raoul as expected, suddenly lunged and seized its foot. The creature then saw Martinez fire and attempted to leap away, but it stumbled but remained in place from the half giant's grip. The duelist's bolts struck it in the chest and stomach, it's eyes grew wide in pain and disbelief , as the missiles tore through its feathered hide. It's body seized up and collapsed to the ground as rivers of blood began flowing freely from its wounds.

The other assassin looked in horror and shock at its slain companion. Instead of pressing its attack , it intoned a spell and began levitating off the ground. Martinez reloaded his weapon and aimed at the creature as it flew to the roof and the waiting skylight . He hesitated his shot, as the assassin loosed a bolt of lightning from its vantage point. It was an inaccurate wide area spell, but fortunately more of the Admiral's guards that had arrived and a military mage intercepted the spell and dispelled it harmlessly before it could do more harm. The creature howled like some form of ice ape before vanishing into the night.

"Get up you big oaf. I don't pay you to lie around. ", smiled Martinez jokingly to his bloody but still mobile friend as the guards quickly extinguished the burning room.

"Aww…I was just setting up the shot for you. I know you're a bad shot so I was trying to keep him still. ", yawned the half giant as he picked himself off the ground. Several clerics began treating his bloody but superficial wounds.

"Your reputations are well founded I see. ", approved Admiral Edmund as he surveyed the damage.

"I admit they are competent, but one escaped .", noted Sardar Milan. His terrified panic was once again replaced by his calculating demeanor.

Martinez chuckled before facing the Vinnraj noble. "First off , are we hired or not? ", demanded the duelist .

Milan scowled but reluctantly agreed. "I dislike your tone Grommer, but I concede I do not have the Ivory lady or other more refined Rakshasa slayers at my disposal. You are hired."

Martinez bowed. "Excellent. You will be billed my regular rate. ", lied the duelist as he intended to charge as much as he could get away with. "Secondly, it did not escape. We let it go. How else will we track it to it's lair. ", he added with a sly smile.

* * *

Jimmez smiled slyly. His little show tantrum had the desire effect. He was able to ditch the paladin and allowed to wander the streets freely on his own. He knew mention of drink would convince both Raoul and Jose to go to the party, a simple palming trick was all it took to ensure he drew the short straw. Even if for some reason Martinez dragged him along, Jimmez was ready to feign fatigue or boredom. The young apprentice knew exactly what strings to pull on his elders to get the desired effect. For Lady Stille he would always play up the defiant orphan act. For Raoul , the clean cut boy that would do something twice if asked once. Martinez was easy, he just had to flatter him and appeal to his vanity. He even called himself Jimmez to flatter his master. As for Jose, it was just a matter of acting petulant and spoiled. The knight did not handle "baby sitting" well. The young boy remained both faithful and grateful to his masters but he saw the need once in a while to manipulate them to his own ends.

Jimmez grew up in the small Barony of Veb. Though he loved the rustic charm of the rural fief, the sights, smells, and sounds of the Capital was overwhelming . Ever since they arrived at Grom City , the young demon hunter was dazzled by all he encountered. They were only here for a short while , slaying a demon for the navy and securing future contracts, but the young boy was mesmerized and wanted to experience more. From the seedy gambling parlors, the wondrous parks and gardens of the nobility , the grand military monuments, and even the bustling merchant district, there was just so much in the city to discover. It was only a matter of time that he began making secret forays into the night to explore these wonders by himself. If it meant deceiving his masters then so be it. Jimmez knew it was wrong to lie , but he rationalized that it didn't hurt anyone. Besides, Jimmez was sure he could take care of himself. After all, how many other 13 year old boys had dispatched an ogre, several dretch demons, a half dozen feral goblins and even a dreaded stirge.

The night was young and the young Demon hunter was determined to see the marvels of Porlock the Warlock's Menagerie. It was rumored to be a tourist side show, but that didn't matter to the boy. He had heard it contained all sorts of wondrous creatures , both mundane , magical and planar , from around the world and across the planes. Thoughts of seeing a gaseous flumph, a fearsome dire corby, or even a massive froghemoth danced in his head as he made his way there. Although his apprentice allowance was a pittance, Jimmez was sure he had enough funds to pay for entry . Though he might have attempted to sneak in, he doubt his training allowed him to evade any magical defense that the zoo might contain.

The boy trekked across town to an old warehouse in the lower merchant district. The massive building loomed, dark and old, and appeared that it had seen better days. Regardless of its state, Jimmez was resloved to gaze at its hidden wonders. "One child admittance. ", declared the boy proudly as he walked up to the entry booth.

An odd looking , almost construct appearing humanoid was manning the booth . He looked at the young demon hunter dismissively. "One Platinum crown. ",he declared almost mechanically.

"Wha…what? That's crazy! ", declared Jimmez in shock. He expected to pay a silver, which was a laborer's daily wage , and was prepared to go up to a gold, but a platinum piece was ridiculous.

"Move along child. This zoological marvel wasn't meant for commoners. ", replied the construct .

Jimmy was at a loss of words as he stormed off. He was so close to see the wonders of the world only to be turned back by lack of funds. He doubted he could manipulate this golem or construct and he considered his options carefully. It would be easy enough to steal the funds , but that was against everything he believed in. Though he admitted he dabbled in roguish behavior, theft was clearly a taboo he had not crossed yet. He wondered if he could find Jose and beg for the money, but the boy had his pride. Maybe he could go to the gambling dens and bet on the hell hound or cockatrice fights to raise the funds. He found them boring but he also admitted he had a talent to pick a winner.

As the young demon hunter pondered his next move, he was distracted by loud shouts from down the street. Curiosity got the best of him as he scampered to see the source of the commotion.

Jimmez was surprised to see a small mob of teenagers chasing what appeared to be a young dark skinned boy. The boy was thin, and smaller than the short Jimmez. He would guess his age to be ten or eleven from his appearance. His clothes looked expensive but currently they were dirty, ragged and recently torn. Judging by his soft appearance Jimmez guessed he was an aristocrat of some sort, but right now he looked bruised, frightened, and confused. Several adults saw this , but did not seem to care. Boys will be boys they thought.

"This is better than playing "Beat the tiefling with a stick" ! Let's teach this no good foreigner a lesson! ", declared a youth with a big misshapen nose. Jimmez frowned upon such a sentiment. Lady Stille was one of the people he admired the most in the world. She had given him opportunities and trust when others dismissed her. She was also to his knowledge a tiefling, those with demon blood, and it infuriated him that people would treat her people in such a way.

"Get out of Grom! Go back to your mamma! ", shouted his skinny friend with the over-sized adams apple. Jimmez scoffed at the inane comment. He was sure the poor boy wanted nothing better to leave and return to his mother. The bullies however ,in their misguided rage ,were barring his path not expediting his departure.

"I bet he has coin! ", blurted a chubby girl with gaudy curls. Jimmez's eyes turned to platinum crowns.

At the mention of coin Jimmez knew he had to act. Though Lady Stille often told him to take what Martinez told him with a grain of salt, the duelist's mantra of "if you are good at something, you should be paid for it" seemed to ring true .

Jimmez sprang into action and pursued the mob. With an athletic leap, a daring spring, and an acrobatic somersault he managed to land between the harried boy and his attackers.

"That's far enough. Leave this innocent child alone! ", threatened the young demon hunter with a curl on his lip. Jimmez had watched some thespians say something along these lines in a play that Lady Stille had dragged him to. The young boy thought it a funny line and had practiced to imitate it, much to Martinez's approval.

Despite his small size his intimidating presence and dramatic entrance gave the mob pause The much larger, big nosed youth was unimpressed as he reached behind him and pulled out a knife. "Outta the way shrimp, or I'll gut you gud. ", he said to the approval of his peers.

Jimmez stared at the weapon and chuckled. " Is that suppose to be scary?", he asked as he recalled all the monsters and demons he had encountered since he began his apprenticeship.

The big nosed youth snarled , and began slashing the air in wide arcs to prove how serious he was. As the youth neared his new victim, Jimmez walked into his blow after a wide slash and punched his fist into the youth's elbow. The blow stunned the knife wielder causing him to drop the blade, which Jimmez promptly caught . He then stepped back and examined his new acquired weapon.

"A bit crude, I've seen goblins make better.", he commented nonchalantly as he then began to twirl the knife , effortlessly and almost too fast for the eye to follow with his fingers. After several seconds of showmanship, he tossed the knife back to the big nosed youth.

The youth absently caught the dagger . "Here you go try again. ", stated Jimmez before he rabbit punched him twice in swift succession to the side, then followed with a slam from the top of his head to the taller boy's chin.

The youth yelped in pain and turned to seek help. None came however as his gang quickly scattered and abandoned him. The big nosed youth decided that was the correct course of action and swiftly followed his "friends".

Jimmez then turned to find the smaller dark skinned boy cowering in a corner watching him in both fear and curiosity. "Don't worry friend, I've taken care of those …ummm….varlets for you. ", declared the young demon hunter as he considered what his master Martinez would say in this instance.

The dark skinned boy paused before running forward and hugging Jimmez. Tears streamed down his face as he began sobbing. " Blah blah blah Blablah blah Lalit Blah Blah Blah Rakshasa blah blah"

Jimmez stared at him blankly in return. "Huh?"

* * *

Stille regarded the possible weretiger in confusion. Why did his fellows flee? Were they after whoever escaped the palanquin? Why was he or she so important?

Before she could sort out her thoughts, the creature before her dropped his guise and assumed his presumed true form. It appeared to be humanoid with a bestial southern tiger face . It dropped its scimitar, and despite its oddly shaped backward hands , it extended long deadly claws to face her.

"Look out! It's a striped toothless tiger man! ", shouted an observer alongside one of the streets.

Though her situation was dire, Stille permitted herself a chuckle. Most Grommers were accustomed to saber tooth tigers, and seldom saw the yellow striped southern variety. The weretiger was not impressed though. It turned towards the direction of the comment and unleashed a cone of fire towards the street. While most of the buildings were magically reinforced stone, several observers were ignited and screamed in pain from the pyrotechnic attack.

Stille was shocked at the careless violence of the creature and sprang quickly forward at it with her blade . The creature however proved quicker and easily evaded her blow. It turned around and lashed at the priestess with its claws, but she managed to block its strike with her shield. Stille then followed up with an indirect sweep with her forward leg hoping to trip the creature up. The weretiger saw through her hidden attack and hopped back safely out of range before she connected.

"You are good …human….but human are ….food …just food. ", it said in choppy common.

Stille took great offense at his comment. Not because she was referred to as human, but for its murderous attitude and statement. She attempted to summon a spiritual weapon to aid her, but the creature charged her as it closed the distance once again and broke her concentration.

Stille attempted to block again with her shield, but the beast rolled towards her right side at the last moment. Before she could react and shift to meet his new position, the creature lashed out at her sword arm , rending armor and flesh with its strike.

Stille stumbled back in pain, and was surprised that her foe had not pressed its advantage against her. She instead watched the beast play and taste the blood on its claw. It smiled and almost purred as it watched the priestess bleed.

"Not …human…..", It commented in amusement, in its choppy version of the common tongue.

Stille took the brief break in combat and intoned a healing prayer on herself. The monster currently had the upper hand, but she was determined to hold out till the militia arrived. She wasn't sure if they would be enough, but she understood she was a poor opponent for her foe. As the priestess's wounds mended the creature realized what she was doing and waved its hands dismissively at her.

A volley of magical missiles struck the priestess and staggered her. She attempted to raise a shield spell to deflect any further such attacks, but the creature disrupted her enchantment with a burst of dispelling magic.

Stille knew her options was dwindling and knew her situation was dire. What was this creature? Definitely not a weretiger, upon reflection she recalled they were significantly larger than humans while the creature before her was clearly man size. Although it was rare for weretigers to employ magic , if they did they were generally neophytes in its mastery. This creature and its fellows however seemed to be masters at their craft. It was like some sort of demonic version of were tiger.

Stille suddenly realized what she was facing. It was one of those cannibalistic spirits from the far eastern Lands of Mystery. The name escaped her but she recalled they were creatures that changed shape, were resistant to magic and weapons, and were skilled arcane masters. As the priestess came to the conclusion of her foe's identity, the creature slipped past her defenses and struck her across the head with its backwards hand. Its claws raked and tore her face as she screamed in pain. Stille fell to the ground from the blow and struggled to crawl to her feet.

*BANG*

A chorus of thunder rang out across the street. Stille looked up and saw a detachment of Royal guardsmen had arrived. There were two dozen of them and their first rank had just unleashed a deadly volley from their famous dragon golems . Unlike the ill trained and poorly equipped town militia, the Royal guard were a feared force known throughout Grom. Armored in silvery breast plates while wearing red tabards, they were the city's elite force. They were founded after the siege of Grom City nearly a hundred years ago, and were formed to battle any invaders or monsters that dared attack the citizens of the Capital.

The cat spirit screeched as it was struck multiple times by the guardsman. It stumbled briefly then vanished from sight. Stille noted that she felt the uncomfortable presence of multiple blessed weapons in the area. Even though she wielded a holy blade, Stille's abyssal heritage made her sensitive to being in close proximity of divine weapons. Though she wielded pure divine energy, due to her nature she was also vulnerable to them. The priestess recalled that although her blade did not pierce her opponent's skin the holy fire surrounding it did burn it slightly, she reasoned that the Royal Guard must have employed similar attacks against the spirit.

"Are you all right ma'am?", asked the lead guardsman as it examined the area for signs of their vanished target. " We would have fired earlier, but you were in the way. "

"Thank you sir. I was lucky you arrived in time. ", gasped Stille as she healed her wounds again. Though her face was badly cut, it was a superficial wound and she concentrated mostly on her wounded side and sword arm. A cleric amongst the guard offered to heal her wounds, but she waved them off and directed them to the wounded amongst the smouldering building.

"No, we arrived too late it seems. We were under orders by Admiral Edmund to follow the Nashput contingent from a safe distance and provide additional security . We saw the attack but we arrived too late it seems. I see no sign of the Prince Lalit. ", stated the worried guardsman as he examined the slain body guards and the abandoned palanquin.

Stille shook her head as she attempted to piece together the information given her. " He escaped. He is alive for now, but I doubt how long he will remain so. Three maybe four others pursued him as he ran. Hopefully he reaches your detachment or some other safe point", she noted.

The guardsman looked at each other and shook their heads. "Doubtful. From my briefings I've been told the Prince is but a child, and worse still he does not know our tongue. We'll bring the full might of the militia and guard to find him though. Thank you for your assistance, but we'll take over from here. "

Stille considered his words but knew the boy's fate was doomed. Despite the Royal Guardsman's best intentions , they were mostly human and it was getting dark. If the attack occurred earlier then there would be a chance they could find him swiftly in the daylight. The darkness however would delay any rescue and play towards their foes strengths. She doubted the boy would survive the night if left on his own. It was not her fight, but she was determined to help him.

She realized she lacked the skills to track the boy, and from her recent defeat she was incapable of defeating his pursuers. However, she knew a band of demon hunters that could.


	4. Chapter 4

Martinez surveyed the scene of the recent battle. The Admiral's partial sitting room and partial trophy room was destroyed pretty thoroughly. Shards of glass and splintered wood littered the floor. The thing that caught the duelist's eye was the rapidly decomposing feathered corpse before him.

"So are you sure this is a Rake shish kebab, not just a run of the mill kenku or the like ? I thought they looked like orange toothless tiger men with odd stripes. ", asked Edmund. Despite his damaged property, the Admiral seemed more curious about the sole slain attacker.

Martinez prodded the body and the feathers seemed to flake into ash. "Yes my knowledge on them is sketchy but I recall the cat headed variety are the most common, these creatures do come in various forms. From birds of prey, to oxen, even foxes. I've been told they come in all varieties of animals save the mongo goose. A bizarre form of poultry native to the region, I reckon. As for your question if this creature was a mere mundane kenku ..how shall we say….. the corpse would begin to clot , stiffen and rot if it was. This creature , as you can see, is deteriorating rapidly as some outsiders do when they die. ", explained the duelist.

"Not all outsiders perish the same way. ", grunted Raoul as he sifted through the demolished bar in search of something to drink. "Some explode in a ball of fire, others fade into shadow, I've even seen a couple turn into a mass of squirming maggots. They all die differently sometimes even the ones of the same species perish in different manners, but the main thing is they don't die normal."

The Admiral nodded at this piece of professional information and stared at the skylight.

"I assume that these creatures gained entry with stealth. A palace this big would be too difficult to ward against magic, but it should be easy enough to detect the casting of spells. ", deduced Martinez as he pieced together the course of events.

"Correct. They evaded my guards and managed to bypass any security I have put up. I've been told that the mystics of Vinnraj are experts at masking themselves from magic. Their skill is similar to the ninjas of the dwarven kingdom of Monty Nargar or the Windtalons of the north. ", noted Edmund.

"I'm also guessing that they were simply spying on our friend here. If they would have wanted him dead, they would have attacked earlier. ", continued the duelist. He signaled Raoul with a cryptic one finger twirl and the half giant interrupted his search for drink and sniffed the air. After a few seconds he gave Martinez a thumbs up.

"There are no more spies in the area. Sardar Milan, is there anything that these creatures seek from you , any information at all?", pressed the demon hunter.

Sardar Milan looked irritated at being questioned by the duelist. Martinez assumed it was due to the fact he was in a perceived lower caster then him. Regardless of his rank, the nobleman consented to the duelist's query. "I am a simple merchant. I do not deal in secrets. Many knew that we were transferring Prince Lalit to Grom City. We had hoped that the vast geographical distances, my small army of guards, and the wards at my safe houses would keep the prince safe." replied the aristocrat dismissively.

"As you can see , they have traveled the world to seek you and your prince, so distances mean little to your enemy. Also your guards are useless against them. Even if they were trained veteran troops, they would be powerless against the magical foe you face. Depending on the mage that placed the wards, they might work against them. If they do then they will strike at your Prince when he leaves them. I suggest you make him stay put till Raoul and I handle your problem. ", assured Martinez.

A look of panic spread across Sardar Milan's face but he swiftly recovered. " I will take your advice under consideration. I believe the Prince is being transported to my Harbor Manor , which is also warded against spirits. My Major Domo and some soldiers are escorting him. Also , at Admiral Edmund's insistence, a detachment of Grommish Royal Guards are shadowing them as well. I didn't realize the foe was already upon us, I will send word to keep him at the manor till we have resolved the situation. Also…aren't you two suppose to be tracking the escaped Rakshasa? All I see you doing is telling me things I already know….and scavenging for drinks. ", asked Milan unimpressed.

Raoul and Martinez exchanged smiles and chuckled but the Admiral replied first. " I assume that they intend to follow this creature to its lair. It might sound rudimentary but if it suspects it is being pursued it will not seek refuge at its base. Even if it is clever enough to not return to its lair, the boys here only lose a bit of time for the opportunity to find the entire nest of them. ", explained Edmund.

The Sardar considered the Admiral's statement and eyed the demon hunters suspiciously. "Forgive me. I am only a mediocre hunter of Gaur at best, and even then I rely on guides. However I do know the advantages of following a hot trail and a cold trail. Won't these two risk losing the trail?".

Martinez suppressed his laughter at the Sardar. He attempted to answer not once but twice but had to stop and control his giggles. "Lord Milan, our prey jumped through the roof, and is most likely hopping on roof tops or flying through the city by now. There will be no conventional path to follow. No broken glades of grass, no splatter of blood to lead us, or even a proverbial line of bread crumbs for us to track. However…now that they have revealed themselves to us, there are ways we can find them .", he explained while pointing to Raoul. The half giant had found a shattered bottle of wine and had begun guzzling the remainder with the side of his mouth while ignoring the glass. After finishing his drink, he examined the dissolving corpse and took a deep whiff with his nose. Then he took a deep smell of the area that the other creature fought in. He then nodded to Martinez to confirm that he had the correct scent.

Sardar Martinez looked suitably impressed but did not say anything. The Admiral however was quite captivated by his ability. "Amazing….can all half giants do this? If so I might have to recruit some into the navy. ", he commented.

Martinez smirked. " Only a few of his rare race can do this. It is a very hard talent to learn. I myself after years of training can only detect a demon's scent if it is nearby or had passed through an area recently. Raoul is unsurpassed currently at his nasal gifts. ", explained the duelist.

"Currently? ", noted Sardar Milan .

"Ah yes. My current apprentice has shown remarkable aptitude at detecting demons. He will make a great demon hunter one day, that is if he doesn't do anything stupid first.", chuckled the duelist.

* * *

"This is one of the most stupid things I've ever done. ", complained Jimmez as he attempted to walk back to the inn. He hoped to attempt to plead with Sir Jose for some money to see the Menagerie, but he was slowed by the small boy trailing him and occasionally hugging him. He had hoped the young boy he rescued would reward him suitably. Even with his torn garments , the young demon hunter guessed he was a noble of some sort and expected some sort of reward for his valor. Instead, the boy began babbling in an unknown tongue and was currently following him closely.

"Go away! GO HOME! You're safe now! ", growled Jimmez again. He wanted to strike the boy to make clear his point, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He was already roughed up enough by the bullies, and Jimmez wanted no part in being associated with their likes. Jimmez was also partially reminded of himself by the boy , mainly because of his small size. Memories of being teased and pushed around due to his size in Veb haunted the daring youth. Though he was motivated by a reward to help the boy, Jimmez was happy enough that he drove away some bullies.

"Blah blah blah blah Lalit blah blah blahblah BLAH Rakshasa blah! ", babbled the boy excitedly . Jimmez could only speak common well , but he knew enough of other languages to at least guess their origin. He could differentiate the harsh low sounds of dwarvish, the musical melodies of elvish, and even the rough growls of orcish. The language this boy spoke however confused him greatly.

"Can anyone understand this kid!", declared Jimmez angrily. The humor that he himself was a little kid , wasn't lost on the crowd as most chuckled and continued their errands.

A well dressed, respectable looking dwarf with braided orange hair however stopped and stared curiously at the youth and the boy. "He babbles like Sammy when he gets mad. ", he commented before he continued his way.

"Wait…who's Sammy? " asked Jimmez as thoughts of being rewarded handsomely once again danced in his thoughts.

"My head caravan guard's child. Now be off , I don't have time to talk to urchins. ", declared the dwarf before he pushed his way through the crowd.

It wasn't much information but Jimmez smiled. There were three main caravan camps in Grom City, one at each of the corresponding gates. Since they were closest to the north gate the youth would search for this Sammy character there. Soon he would make his intentions known to this boy. Judging by his appearance he was most likely a young nobleman who was lost. A suitable reward by his parents or the boy would most likely come his way for his good deed, he thought.

* * *

As Stille rushed back to her inn, she thought why she was motivated to do this good deed.

Was it a mechanical reflex that was instilled by years of service to the Church of Koryis?

Was it her own code of doing what's right?

Was it her need to over compensate for the stain of her dark heritage? The desire to battle evil for the sake of proving her own innocence?

Or was it something more sinister. The mention by the creature…of humans being food, seemed to have resonated with her morbidly. Was it the need to prove she had no such dark desires ?

She wanted to leave the question unanswered but it still weighed heavily on her mind. Those creatures were in essence evil outsiders , much like herself. Was she really that different from them, was her life just a lie to mask the truth of her own self.

Though she had lived what most considered a life of virtue and morals , there was all ways a nagging weakness that defined her character. She constantly questioned her own reasons for doing the things she did. She placed herself on a higher level of scrutiny as self-doubt of her own true nature plagued her. Though she had long insightful talks when she was young with her rescuer the wise Sister Wayland, her worldly father the Warmaster of Rawk, and her gentle husband Halvor there was always a small part of her that was afraid of revealing whatever dark beast that remained chained inside of her.

Battling demons helped bury those questions. Most outrages they committed just reinforced her desire to vanquish them and continue her righteous path, however sometimes they say something off hand or do some trivial act that threw her spiritual equilibrium out of balance. Often she would seek solace at a shrine or meditate on the holy texts of her god to reconfirm what she knew as herself, unfortunately these moments of self doubt seemed to be growing more and more common lately.

Regardless of whatever explanations were behind her actions, whether they were self-sacrificing or self-serving, Stille knew that only her band of demon hunters could help this Prince Lalit from being prey to the Rakshasas . She hurried as fast as she could till she made it to the oddly named Drunken Squirrel Inn.

The inn was an old but solid structure. Unlike most modern buildings made of brick , this structure was built in the ancient days of stone and timbers. It appeared to be two buildings built adjacent together rather then one homogenous assembly. A square shaped almost monastery like two story building which rented out rooms, with a pleasant but over harvested herb garden in the middle, and a large single room barn like edifice that housed the tavern, cooking pit, and occasional a makeshift gladiator pit all at once. It was clean enough but the noise was on the loud side for the baroness's tastes. Martinez however picked it mainly due to its curious name. Apparently he had never seen a squirrel before, something that Stille had encountered once and hoped never to witness again.

The priestess considered going to their rooms and rousing her companions to the task on hand, but she thought it more likely they were still in the tavern enjoying its bustling revelry. As she stormed her way into the busy tavern she was relieved when she spotted Sir Jose. He was sitting in what could be described as their regular table. There was several large men laying on the ground , apparently the victims of some sort of fisticuffs, while on his knee he was entertaining a plain looking but busty barmaid.

She had met many paladins in her long life, even her former body guard whom she considered one of her best friends was a paladin. Though they initially question her heritage she found she would eventually earn their trust. Sir Jose however was a different matter. He was knight of the prestigious Order of the Husky, a band of heroes from the north that her husband and herself had aided many times in the past. His master was an old ally named Sir Rollo , a valiant knight that almost died rescuing her from a band of blackguards on Ogremoch's Glacier. He even followed the teachings of Nirrodin, a war god of justice and retribution, that often worked together with her own more peaceful deity. He should have been the perfect companion on her self appointed task to rid Grom of the demons plaguing it but there was something about him that struck her as discordant.

Perhaps it was the deception he often acted like an articulate nobleman in her presence but switched to a rustic almost crude North Darokin accent when she was gone. Though he attempted to hide it, her keen abyssal senses could hear him talk when he thought her out of earshot.

Maybe it was due to the hidden stares he directed at her, most likely using his special paladin vision to determine if she was hiding any evil or sin. Though her actions could be judged only to be lawful and good, her dark blood always radiated evil regardless of her actions. Most paladins accepted that, but a few like Jose thought it was a clear indication of her moral weakness.

Most likely it was the fact that the pair didn't like each other. Young Jim she loved and almost considered a son. His hard upbringing and early tragedies in life, and more importantly his optimistic perseverance in the face of those hardships, often reminded him of herself. Raoul was a gentle soul despite his brutish appearance. The half giant's honesty and integrity was an inspiration to her. Even discounting Martinez's constant unwelcomed advances, the duelist showed a dedication and perseverance to battling evil that was equal to any crusader she had met. Jose however, had none of the charm and trust displayed by her other companions. He seemed more like a person simply doing the motions of being a hero, rather than being someone she could rely on.

Regardless of her feelings for her, she was only too glad to see him. If he was here than the others were not too far off she thought.

"Jose! We need to gather our band immediately! A young prince is being threatened by a rare type of far eastern demon. I fear if we don't intervene his fate will be doomed. ", she implored while ignoring the busty barmaid on his lap.

Jose immediately pushed the surprised barmaid to the side and bowed to the priestess. The serving girl seemed annoyed at his quick change of attitude , but understood when she saw Stille and gave her a rival's glare. "My sword is at your service m'lady. Where is this demon that needs to be vanquished? ", he asked in a courtly manner that was in stark contrast to his surroundings and his recent actions.

"Your dedication to justice does your Order credit, oh courageous knight. However we need everyone from our band to battle this evil, especially the noble Raoul and the pious Martinez with their ability to track these abyssal spawn. ", Stille replied over formally and comically superfluously. She could have mentioned young Jim as well. His raw ability to sense demons was truly uncanny , but she hoped not to involve him in this particular task. Hunting minor dretches were one thing, but the deadly magic wielding Rakshasas were quite another.

"I fear the others are occupied for the evening. The noble Martinez and his valiant cohort Raoul are at the Admiral's gala , a bonus reward for our victory over the Hydroloth we vanquished for the Royal navy. Young Jim has taken leave for the evening and is currently engaging in something befitting his rapscallion nature I'm sure. Fear not m'lady. As a paladin my ability to detect evil is quite useful. It allows me to detect all foul demonic abominations that crosses my vision….", began the paladin but stopped when he realized the slip he made. Stille saw plainly that he had been staring at her directly when she entered, most likely a slip brought upon by the consumption of alcohol. " I apologize , I did not mean to offend. I meant it allows me to sense heightened levels of non-conformist behavior in my line of vision." he blurted quickly.

Stille was not amused at his insult and his apology for it. His over the top chivalric speech was laughable and insulting. However the fact he always stared at her from the corner of his eye enraged her. He never did it directly and she considered him a coward for not simply stating his mistrust. Though he looked and sounded truly remorseful , she knew it was most likely a calculated act to belittle her . After all , Jose was a master of appearing as what he wasn't.

"No need to hide it Jose. The others aren't here. There's no need to pretend you trust me or the dark blood that runs through my veins. ", she snapped at him. "To tell you the truth, I don't always trust it myself. ", she added sadly.

"No…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend….. ", apologized Jose again , before he could continue a chilling wind swept through the busy tavern , followed by a darkness that extinguished all sources of light. Screams of confusion and panic erupted from the patrons at the dire turn of events.

Despite the deafening sound of chaos around her, Stille felt a sense of panic when a soft but powerful voice filled the darkness around her. "You are not human … but human are ….food …just food. ", it taunted in broken common.

* * *

Rajah Mogombo stood above the common, broken , human. His claws dripped with viscera, his fur soaked in blood. It was a long but spirited hunt through the twisted streets of this accursed foreign city, but their prey was eventually caught and slain. He was torn limb from limb, and Mogombo and his servants feasted on their victim. Devouring all save his heart. Despite their sated hunger, something was wrong. This creature was not whom they sought, and there was something else, something familiar in the air.

"This …food….was wearing a guise . " a dark silk robed creature next to him noted subserviently. His Kyton, or chain devil, stood emotionless as its chains moved slowly around its body.

"The food must have been a distraction for the Prince to escape. We need to seek him out before he cowers behind the accursed wards again. The Royal adventurers of this land will soon mobilize against us. We cannot let the Royal heart escape. " the second dark robed creature added humbly.

Mogombo already knew this, but the familiar smell in the air proved to be more distracting everytime he caught its scent. The Rakshasa lord brought the heart in his hand to his mouth and flicked his tongue at it absently , in the vain hopes his senses were lying. Sadly they were not and he tossed the grisly trophy to his servants for them to fight over.

Sardar Malik had done an admirable job of hiding the Royal heart, but Rajah Mogombo's destiny shall not be denied he thought. Though he doubt the Sardar knew what he desired, Mogombo made it a point to visit more misery to his family after he obtained his goal. Twelve years ago he discovered the dark artifact known only as the Black Scroll. His enlightenment from the evil document told him what he needed. For now all he needed was a virgin Royal heart, and he raged in frustration at his inability to obtain it.

Twelve years ago he thought he obtained his goal when he encountered by chance a Royal hunting party in the jungles of Nashput. He slew the Princess and her guards but was dismayed to find his victim's bloodline was not as noble as all had suspected. Like all food…they were unreliable…and the princess's mother proved to be a rutting whore . The heart did not meet his purpose so he had his servants arrange an accident for the unfaithful harlot in retaliation while the humans burned the jungles in a futile attempt at retribution.

Two years later he tracked the eldest Prince in one of the great markets of Vinnraj. Mogombo used subterfuge that day, and delighted as he tricked the prince with enticements of the flesh. It seemed too easy, and it apparently was. Though the Prince had a royal heart, the young man was apparently not a virgin. Mogombo recalled using magics to bring the prince back to life, before torturing him to death in the cruelest of manners for this slight.

In the same year, his spies told him that the Sardar of Nashput suspected a conspiracy was a foot, and had sent the last prince and princess away to foreign lands for their protection. They were but babes , but they were protected by powerful wards placed by the finest Vedic Mystics. Only by a fluke quirk of fate had they discovered the Princess in the distant port of Barkwark. A small Rakshasa army descended on the princess's strong hold, but in their zeal , had inadvertently burned it down along will all its inhabitants.

Mogombo raged that day and executed one in ten of his own minions in his wrath. All Rakshasas lived for only two things, to pleasure oneself in the most hedonistic ways possible, and the accumulation of power, be it political or personal. It was foretold that if a Rakshasa devours the heart of virgin of the Royal family of Nashput, he would be given power to challenge the gods. Mogombo assumed it would transform him from a simple Rajah of his people, to a powerful Maharajah spirit. He thought all was lost when he lost the last princess burned to death that day, and despaired that he would have to wait another generation , or worse yet the royal bloodline had died out and his destiny would be forever denied to him.

Fate was kind though, as a full decade later he received a lead that the last Prince of Nashput was in hiding in the Imperial city of Thyatis. It was a simple enough matter to track them down there, but apparently the Sardar's mystics were well prepared. They caught wind of his gathering forces and vacated to this land of merchants instead. They thought their preparations were cunning, but it only took mere gold to loosen the lips of some desperate Thyatian sailors and discovered their whereabouts. When they arrived at Grom City, they discovered that many wards had been set in place to prevent them from approaching their prey. Mogombo however was patient and knew that the …food…always made mistakes . So he and his forces gathered and waited.

After several months an opportunity had arisen. It was discovered that the Prince made trips to the harbor fairly often. Mogombo considered an all-out attack at first, but he decided against it. Like a chess master he placed agents to spy on Sardar Milan to discover if he had any hidden ploys yet to be revealed as well as planning the best spot to attack. The area that was furthest away from meddling guards and mystics, and the least likely to be helped. He also placed servants observing the harbor manor and the stronghold in case the Prince somehow escaped . Rajah Mogombo was determined not to let his prey's heart escape this time.

As he stood over the savaged and torn body of the false prince, Mogombo wondered if his ploys had failed yet again. He grasped an amulet, carved from soapstone in the shape of an elephant and concentrated on it. Soon the image of a nervous guardsman appeared...Mogombo enjoyed it when he saw his charmed victim's anxiety and fear.

"Hail Mogombo…", the guardsman said nervously and quietly as he looked around.

"Has the Prince been rescued?", asked the Rakshasa lord in the native's own distasteful tongue. He knew the food was afraid he would be discovered by his fellows, but it did not matter to him. Such was the price of betraying your fellows he thought ,regardless if he was pressured under the use of magic.

"No Lord Mogombo. No sign of him . He hasn't turned up in the manor house or Sardar Milan's embassy. We can't track him by magic either. ", whispered the man.

" Keep me informed. Else my wrath consumes all. ", threatened the Rakshasa as the image faded. Mogombo was not pleased at the turn of events but it could be worse. His attacked was foiled, but at least there was still a window of opportunity for success. The Vinnraj wards that were placed on the Prince prevented Rakshasa magic from tracking him, but apparently it also prevented the Sardar's and the Grommer's magic from rescuing him as well. He hated relying on humans, but noted that his own kind were average trackers at best. He would have brought his best tracker Kitahria but she was not fully trustworthy and more importantly he did not think the Prince would escape. Currently she was in his lair with others guarding his possessions, which included the black scroll. Mogombo smiled , it was all a ruse to trick and test they loyalty of his subordinates, he could summon the dark artifact whenever he wanted.

Mogombo sniffed the night sky and caught that odd but familiar scent again. His mind could not recall when he had smelled it as the memory danced at the edge of his mind. He put the origins of the smell away for now as he roared into the night. A cacophony of cat screeches , bird caws, and dog barks accompanied his roar, but the Rajah didn't care. He had alerted all his minions. He will find the Prince tonight, or tear up the town in the attempt.


	5. Chapter 5

Martinez and Raoul readied their weapons and charms. Despite their flippant attitude towards Sardar Milan the two knew they were in for a deadly battle.

Blessed bolts crafted by the finest gnome weapon smiths, holy eladrin daggers, dwarvish tunnel fighting foot spikes , and a ceremonial spear used by the monks of the death god Blabyon were some of the weapons they readied to be used to bypass their magical hides. An amulet with a stone of Almarth embedded in it and a cloak made from a disenchanter's hide to ward against their spells. Also a variety of other weapons and wondrous items were being distributed between the pair.

"How did you smuggle those items into my party?" asked the Admiral after he returned from calming his guests.

"Magic bag of holding. "shrugged Raoul as he tested the balance of a spear. Satisfied with its weight and point, he sprinkled a vial on its tip and it glowed a soft white.

"How did you get the bag pass my detections?" queried Edmund further.

"Now, now. We can't reveal all our secrets, less we'll be out of work. " cautioned Martinez with a slight smile.

As the two finished their preparations, they promptly scaled to the roof. Martinez hopped from pillar to wall fixture like a spider as he effortlessly scaled the wall to the sky light, while Raoul produced a pair of climbing claws and slammed them into the wall methodically as he climbed.

"We have stairs you know! " complained the Admiral as the pair disappeared into the night.

When the demon hunters reached the roof, they evaluated their situation again.

Raoul smelled the air deeply and pointed to the east. Before Martinez could act on the information , the half giant held his hand up as a sign of caution. "The one we seek is east in the harbor. He's not alone. I smell a dozen more scattered around the city. There's a whole nest of them but I can't determine the exact number. I assume from the fact I've never caught their scent before they are all working together. ", commented the half giant.

"Most likely .", agreed Martinez. "Doesn't matter how many there are, our best bet is to strike them hard and fast at their lair. We'll break up their base of operation, and watch them scatter. The ones that stick around we can get rid of one at a time. The rest the guards can handle. They shouldn't be too tough if their leadership is gone."

"Oohh you've thought this over. Guess that's why you're the boss. ", said Raoul sarcastically.

"As the boss, I say its time you earned your keep. Let's get this over with while we still have the element of surprise. The one that got away will blab to his buddies. We have a short window of opportunity I think. ", noted Martinez.

"Should we get the others? ", asked Raoul as he readied a vial for consumption.

Martinez shook his head. "No. Our time is limited. We'll get them when we begin mop up. Not counting Jose, the others aren't suited for a heads up battle anyways. Besides, if we wrap this thing up in a night, I'm sure to score some points with the lovely Baroness.", the duelist replied as he readied his only vial.

Raoul rolled his eyes at the mention of the baroness.

Martinez caught the eye roll and scoffed. "Trust me, my oafish friend. She's just playing hard to get. Soon it will be .. BAM ! Pregnant! " boasted the duelist.

Raoul chuckled at the duelist's confidence then quaffed his vial. The half giant began floating in the air. He knew the potions magic would not last long, but they would remain in flight till they reached their destination.

"Enough talk. Let's do this. ", commented Martinez before the pair flew into the night.

* * *

Jimmez and the strange boy that followed him did not talk as they wandered through the city. Eventually they found the large bustling courtyard that held the caravans . It was a large cobbled field, close to the north gate , said to have hosted many duels in the past. Typically they were battles between rival mercenary captains, or champion duelists employed by various nobles that wanted a public venue for their fight. Jimmez heard that even a famous tiefling champion once slew a terrible devil swine as well as saving the city by battling against a savage barbarian lord on this very spot. Regardless of its history , the young adventurer wanted only to find this Sammy character and figure out a way to get a reward for rescuing this boy.

Jimmez saw there were several caravans in the area, and wondered where to begin. He first thought to ask systematically about Sammy but thought that might take too long. He recalled the merchant that had directed him here wore light clothing and bright clothing, in the style typical of natives of Barkwark, so decided to inquire about which caravans had come from that direction. To his delight, one caravan had recently arrived a few days ago and were almost finished unloading their supplies. This was as good a place as any to start he thought.

Jimmez eyed a few caravan guards and picked one that looked bored. "Hello sir. I am in need of some adult assistance. ", he said in his best lost child voice.

The grey haired man looked over Jimmez stiffly, but relaxed and broke into a smile after he determined he was harmless. "What can I do for you two chaps."

"This boy has lost his way, and I was told Sammy could help us. ", replied Jimmez. He thought about claiming Sammy to be a friend but ignored it for a modified version of the truth. There might be too many questions asked if he attempted to perpetrate a deception he had so little information about.

The man looked at Jimmez and shrugged. "WHELP! He shouted at the top of his lungs."

Jimmez was surprised at his loud yell, and it seemed to unnerve the boy he was escorting as well.

He immediately began a litany of babble that confused both Jimmez and the bored guard.

As Jimmez despaired at his now yammering tag along, someone barked something in the same language as the boy. Unlike the boy's speech fast almost rhythmic talk, this was more slow and deliberate. Regardless of the pace of the new speaker, the boy suddenly fell quiet.

The young demon hunter looked and saw a thin boy similar to his age he guessed. He was obviously taller than him, had the same dark olive skin as the boy that accompanied him, and had a delicate and clear complexion. What was extremely curious, was the boy was wearing a chain coif and mail shirt, while sporting a tabard similar to the caravan guard the was talking to. At his side was a club , similar to the light weight variety the army uses. Jimmez also noted he had some sort of bristly looking creature on his shoulders. It had a shorter bushy tail and seemed quite long, similar to a ferret or a weasel.

"Sammy….thank Koryis you're here and silenced this brat. These two were apparently looking for you." Drawled the bored guard.

Sammy looked over Jimmez suspiciously. "They look like street urchins sire. " he said dismissively.

Jimmez noted by the way Sammy had talked to the guard he was probably his son, he noted that they looked nothing alike. He was also insulted by the comparison given him since he wasn't a little kid, he was a demon hunter. To have some whelp who was pretending to be a guard make such an ill judgement of him got him mad. He began to unleash some choice words on this kid, when suddenly his young tag along companion began spouting off his tongue, though this time in a more controlled and less noisy manner.

Sammy listened and held out his hand a few times. Jimmez guessed he was signalling him to slow down. The strange creature on his shoulders easily jumped into the smaller boys arms , and Jimmez half expected it to bite him. Instead the boy seemed to familiar with that particular breed of animal , and calmly petted it while talking to Sammy. After a few minutes, and from what the young demon hunter could tell , some repetition by the now sedate boy, Sammy finally nodded considered his words for a second and smiled.

"My Vedic is rusty, but I got the gist of what he was saying. ", explained the young guard. "This is Lally . Lally has been staying with his uncle and some how got lost . Something about backwards rakes or some foolishness like that . Anyways, Lally was lost, ran afoul to some ruffians who beat and chased him. That's where you stepped in I guess. Lally says he will reward us handsomely if we get him back to his uncle."

Jimmez's eyes grew wide at the mention of a handsome reward. Judging by the boy's manner of dress he guessed they were minor nobles. Perhaps he would be given fifty maybe one hundred gold for his safe return. Then suddenly he paused and looked at Sammy coldly. "Wait…reward …"US"…what's this us bit? I just met you. You ain't getting anything. "

Sammy smirked. "Listen shorty. We both know Lally has no idea where he is or more importantly where he lives, you won't be able to get him back to his uncle without my help and I'm not about to do this out of the goodness of my heart. I'm not helping unless I get a 50/50 cut of the reward. ", stated the young guard plainly.

Jimmez fumed. He called him shorty. He hated when people did that. He was also trying to muscle into his hard earned cash. Jimmez didn't see this punk stop those bullies. Also for some reason he was really annoyed to see this boy in a caravan uniform. He guessed his father must have given him a pretend role to keep him quiet and out of trouble. He seriously doubt he had any real combat experience. Somehow his little dress up game really irked him. He wasn't sure why, but maybe it was due to the fact Jimmez had fought real battles but was never given armor and weapons by Martinez. "Listen you scammer. I'll find someone else to help me. No way I'm giving you half my coin to some brat who plays pretend guard ! " barked Jimmez .

"FINE! Get lost then pipsqueak ! Go beat up some more little kids to impress Lally. Good luck finding someone else who speaks his tongue. "sniped Sammy in return.

The boy named Lally appeared to look hopeful initially but quickly deduced his chances of being returned to his uncle had rapidly disappeared. He began bawling loudly while sobbing more of his gibberish tongue.

The bored guard rolled his eyes at the arguing boys. "Quiet you three ! Master Kirgi will be pissed if you keep raising your voice. He doesn't like it when he's disturbed while feeding his dolphin." He said angrily.

The three boys all stopped at the bored guards demand. Lally stifled a sob but looked as if he was on the edge of tears. Jimmez did not like this Sammy punk, but he also didn't want Lally to suffer. He guessed the young boy was his responsibility and he would have to swallow his pride if he was to see this thing through. "Wait…did he say dolphin. Oh never mind 60/40…since I did most of the work. "offered Jimmez finally.

Sammy considered his offer then nodded. "Agreed. Let's get Lally home. The sooner I get paid the better."

Jimmez scoffed at the young guard's mercenary attitude . "Yes, the sooner I get paid the sooner I get to see the Menagerie. " added the young demon hunter wishfully.

"Oh … that place. It's really interesting. I saw it yesterday …without paying I might add. " replied Sammy enthusiastically. All signs of their previous argument vanished as the two boys found some common ground.

"Hmmm? " asked the bored guard catching only a few bits of their conversation, but hearing enough to suspect shenanigans from the young guard. Sammy in return beckoned his two new companions away from his prying ears. "None of your buisness father. ", he said dismissively.

The guard smiled and waved at him then continued his most likely boring duties.

When they finally got out of ear shot Jimmez thought over Sammy's statement. It was an intriguing prospect. Considering the cost of admission, the young adventurer doubted that Sammy's ticket was paid for by his lackadaisical father, the young demon hunter suspected something underhand was afoot. Something that also sounded intriguing. Lally on the other hand , followed simply content to pet the odd creature in his arms.

"I found a way to sneak into the old building , and I got to see it for free. ", boasted the young guard with a snicker.

Jimmez was dubious of the statement. "Wait, even if you did find a way to sneak in. Aren't there any magical wards ? "

"Are you calling me a liar?"

"I'm just saying , your story is a bit far fetched. The place houses magical monsters, I would think they would at least have some form of magical defenses." Explained Jimmez from a position of authority, after all he was the professional demon hunter here, not some lowly pretend guard.

Sammy laughed. The tall olive skinned boy reached out and messed Jimmez's hair. "Look Pipsqueak. The night is still young. How about I show you how I snuck in before we return Lally back home. "

Jimmez only wanted his reward, but the thought of seeing the Menagerie without paying intrigued him. Raoul had a saying, "Why kill one imp when you can kill two imps with one boulder. ", it sounded silly but here it was looking him in the eye. Free admission while keeping his reward certainly seemed like a sweet deal. He was certain that after he parted ways from Lally he would have nothing else do with the smug Sammy later. "Sure…what's the worse that could happen?" Smiled the young demon hunter.

* * *

This was the worse thing that could happen thought Stille as she stared into the darkness. Not only had the Rakshasa followed her, but it also had gained the tactical advantage with the darkness. Added to the fact her only ally here was Sir Jose, the one she trusted the least from her party, made the entire situation far from ideal. Jose was a fair warrior, but he was not as versatile as Raoul or even Martinez , he would be nearly useless in this dark veil.

Stille's thoughts flashed randomly about her insecurities, but her focus return as the room exploded into panic. A scream from one of the waitresses punctuated the chaos. There were a few guardsman at the tavern ,but their pleas for everyone to remain calm was drowned by shouts and blood curdling screams. Stille's vision was superior to a human or even a dwarf's in the supernatural darkness but at best she could only see the dark outlines of figures. She had no clue the number or the direction of the attack.

The priestess attempted to dispel the darkness around with her magic. She felt the spell begin to unravel but her discordant mind failed to dismiss the expertly crafted spell around her.

"How many are there? ", the priestess shouted as she scanned hopelessly around the room. Stille knew Jose's special paladin vision could detect evil but only in the general area. It was far from accurate when used as an ability to see unless one concentrated for roughly 15 to 20 seconds, time he most likely would not have. It was an overrated ability but the one that unnerved Stille the most. Even when she confronted him in the tavern she caught him staring at her like she was some kind of blight. Stille could ignore his annoying habit of attempting to talk like an aristocrat but she absolutely loathed his subtle stares. Despite her reservations about his power, it should be able to identify the number of their attackers she thought.

"I see a two dozen evil presences. ", replied the paladin through the confusion.

Stille shook her head . " I mean how many greater evil presences, I don't care about the people who cheat on their wives, or steal from orphans right now. " she growled in frustration as another scream punctuated the darkness.

"Two. One on the roof one directly in front of me. " answered Jose nearby.

"I'm the one in front of you !", spat Stille as she once again silently cursed the paladin's vision. She knew it was just another one of his calculated slights directed at her, but it still chipped away at her ego. As she fumed at the paladin, a sharp pain tore through her shoulder which cause her to falter and almost fall. She inspected her wound with her fingers and felt something metallic had struck her.

"Oh. Sorry…right. ", mumbled Jose oblivious to the blow that had struck the priestess.

Stille gritted her teeth and stumbled towards what she thought was Sir Jose. She grasped his shoulder and half expected him to swat her with his blade in retaliation. He didn't and she began to lead him away. "We can't fight it here, we need to get to the courtyard." , she gasped as something sharp struck her in the leg.

"Food…should not try…to escape. ", whispered the darkness around her in rough common.

Stille fell, but the paladin caught her. He wasn't as big as Raoul but he was very strong, and easily supported her as she guided him out of bedlam in the tavern .

As they advanced , Stille through her pain blurred eyes saw something swiftly move directly in front of them, barring their path. She wasn't sure if it was just a stumbling patron or the monster, but her question was quickly answered as she heard a grunt of pain from Jose. She knew her options were short so released a burst of holy smite directly before her, she could have attempted to randomly aim behind the shadow creature, but was unsure if its spell resistance would prevail or her targeting would fail. While most clerics of Koryis, and most people in fact were immune to this divine energy, Stille knew she would be affected by the holy light, a fact that plainly reminded her of the dark blood that festered inside of her.

She channeled her will through her prayer and the area before her was briefly illuminated from the strike. She briefly saw a tiger headed man dressed in dark silks recoil from the light , before she herself was consumed by it. Her eyes burned and her skin cracked. She guessed she would have been thrown aside like a rag doll if Jose was not supporting her.

She wasn't sure what happened next as her eyes slowly recovered .

She felt Jose toss her forward, and she wondered in her daze if the knight was sacrificing her to make good his escape. Instead of being struck down by the Rakshasa she flew past it and landed in the dirt in the courtyard. Through her blurred vision she saw the knight and the tiger man exchange a few blows. The creature appeared to be quite skilled and easily disarmed Jose with its swift claws.

Instead of surrendering or retreating though, Jose uttered a deafening battle cry that silenced the entire inn.

"Que viva la Daro Raza!" was all she heard followed by a similar roar of challenge from the tiger spirit.

A few seconds later Stille's eyes and senses had returned fully. She saw she was lying in a patch of herbs . Something akin to oddly shaped throwing irons were embedded in her leg and shoulder. Nearby Sir Jose was grappling with a tiger headed man. She saw the paladin had tackled the unsuspecting Rakshasa. Though he wasn't as strong as Raoul, besides her departed husband there were few men that could matched the athletic knight's strength.

Although Stille had only seen the knight battle evil with his blade and shield, she was surprised at how remarkably adept he was with his bare hands. She had learned the basics of grappling and pummeling from her uncle Frank and appreciated the techniques he was using. Though he couldn't penetrate its skin, the paladin was painfully manipulating its joints. She suspected the creature was stronger than Jose, but the knight's skill easily leveraged his own strength , while he incapacitated his foe's power. She had heard of North Darokin freestyle fighting or Daro Lucha, but had never seen it in battle till now.

Jose first mounted his opponent while it was on his back, after a few heavy slaps to daze it , he began raining his elbows onto its head. As the creature claws and thrashed in return, he briefly released it only to seize it from behind in a heavy hug as it attempted to scramble up. After a painful few seconds of squeezing, the paladin grabbed one of its arms, and used it to leverage pressure onto the creature's neck, thus avoiding the beast's lethal bite. As the monster struggled again to free itself, Jose began applying pressure to it in the lower back with his knees. The force did little to the spirit, but allowed Jose to force it again to the ground. In a flash, the paladin then wrapped his arms around the creature's head, and ran forward stretching its neck in the process. Before it could bite the paladin in retaliation, Jose had taken a few steps, then leaped forward with the creature's head still in his grasp and fell to the ground almost causing it's neck to snap.

The creature was in pain but was not out of the fight. It snarled bestially and its hands crackled with a blue aura of lightning. Stille saw this and uttered a quick prayer to Jose . The Rakshasa scrambled forwards and met the knight head on again. It looked as though if it would shock Jose to death, but Stille's prayer held and the electricity passed through him harmlessly.

Even though it still scored deep wounds with its claws, the creature was surprised as it's lightning enchantment had no effect. Jose seized the advantage by grabbing its head in both his hands then forcing it down, while simultaneously driving his knee into its head. The blow would normally break a man's nose or split his forhead but it simply caused the monster to cross its eyes in pain and confusion.

"Take that you stupid gato. ", spat Jose as the stunned creature .

Stille eyes had a moment to focus and noticed where the paladin's sword was on the ground. She recalled seeing that during the struggle with the beast, he had either dropped his weapon or was more likely disarmed by the creature. Whatever the reason , she scrambled towards his blade and was careful to grab it by its hilt, less the blessed blade burned her hands.

"Catch Jose! ", she shouted as she thew the well crafted but simple blade at him in a slow spinning arc.

Jose deftly timed the weapon and easily caught it. He then channeled his divine energy into the weapon causing it to burst into holy flames. Though clerics were more skilled at manipulating divine energy to preform prayers and miracles , paladins on the other hand were noted for their ability to channel the same energy through their weapons with devastating effect.

The Rakshasa's eyes grew wide in fear as it sensed that not even its supernaturally tough hide could withstand the weapon. Even though it wasn't a piercing weapon , it blazed with might as it came crashing down onto its head.

The courtyard fell silent as the spirit began to rapidly dissolve in front of them. A brief round of clapping followed by a roar of applause soon greeted the victorious paladin. Stille guessed more than a few patrons witnessed the titantic battle and were now cheering their champion. Though she had her reservations about him, she couldn't deny him this great victory and soon began clapping and cheering as well.

"Gannador victoria gannador ! ", he shouted to their exaltations while raising his arms and playing up to the crowd. As the knight basked in his glory he then noticed Stille and quickly turned red. For a second she saw that stare again and Stille turned away. Instead of giving her a look of disgust or pity, he dismissed his Darokin accent and mannerisms, and ran to her side .

"Are you alright m'lady . I should have attend to you sooner, but my pride caused a lapse in my judgement. " apologized Jose once again in his fake speech patterns. " I'm sorry you had to see that, but I sometimes revert to the my people's national fighting style when disarmed. It's a bad habit that shames the teaching of my master Sir Rollo."

Regardless of his stare, Stille smiled as she had new respect for the man after this great victory. He accomplished what she couldn't and killed the Rakshasa. She swiftly healed any major wounds they had received with magic.

As she performed her prayers of mending , once again her mind was casting doubts into her thoughts. Was she wrong about him, was his veiled threats just a part of her troubled mind? After her husband died, she had always felt a little lonely and empty, but she had for the most part been able to suppress her feelings. Since returning to Grom City though, memories of the early days with her husband had flooded her with nostalgic thoughts. Thoughts that made her mistrust herself, and to see enemies that weren't there. Was she guilty of transposing her fears onto the paladin?

"That's quite alright. The glory is yours. ", she said finally at last.

Despite her affirmation there was still something bothering him. "I'm sorry for earlier. I didn't mean to stare..its just that….", began Jose but his voice trailed off.

"No apologies are needed. My mind has been wandering the last few days, I see slights directed at me when they aren't there. I should be the one apologizing to you. ", Stille said humbly.

Jose shook his head, he then took a sudden step and stood directly before the priestess. Stille gasped as he suddenly brushed his armored fingers against her face softly. She felt a small wave of healing flood into her as his fingers touched her cheek. "Your face was marred by these deep wounds. Its a crime to distort such gentle natural beauty. That's why I was staring. ", stated the paladin . Stille then recalled the superficial slash she had received earlier but chose not to heal. She grew red with embarrassment as well…and felt something stir in her that she hadn't felt in awhile.

Jose lingered briefly before her then he reluctantly drew back. "You were saying something about gathering the boys?" , he asked with a sigh finally.


	6. Chapter 6

Unlike the large warehouses of the efficient dock districts of Lower Lueders or even Barkwark, Grom city's harbor area was a shambled, bustling collection of old houses, exotic shops , loud fish markets, rowdy bars, shady drug dens, and narrow store houses that appeared too small to be of any use. Though it wasn't adjacent to the ocean like the other two, it was still connected to the mighty Grom river . The boats there were smaller, but the docks were just as busy as their more famous counterparts.

The evening had turned to night now, but that did little to disperse the crowds that were milling in this area seeking excitement, entertainment or perhaps some form of lawless diversion so common in such areas.

Martinez and Raoul's flight spell had ended after they reached the harbor, but before they arrive at their destination. That did not slow the demon hunters though, as they were easily able to traverse the tightly packed buildings effortlessly. Martinez easily hopped and jumped like a graceful lemur over the roofs , while Raoul simply used his massive stride to clear any alleys that got in his way. When faced with a particularly long gap between buildings, the half giant would spring forth between them like some mountain Goliath and landed heavily on the other side.

"Thought you would shatter the roof on that last leap. " , smirked Martinez as he awaited for Raoul. He had already did a brief scout of the area while his partner caught up.

The half giant shrugged. " The buildings here are old, but they are also strong. ". The duelist considered his words and wondered if they held some deeper meaning, but he dismissed the notion when Raoul pointed across the street into a curiously empty alley.

Martinez had scouted the surrounding area and noted the other back streets in the area were bustling with people. Whores plying their trade, shady merchants selling illegitimate goods, and anyone else engaging in less than respectable activities were their denizens. This ally however seemed devoid of any such activity, and after a few seconds the duelist understood. Though Raoul and himself were trained to see through most minor illusions , the people on the street weren't. Martinez guessed it was a simple aversion spell rather than an illusion but the result was the same.

While scanning the area the duelist also noted several stationary gargoyles along the roofs of the old buildings. They were mixed in with real statues and did not seem out of place amongst the ancient buildings that were so common here. He pointed them out to the half giant and he nodded .

"We're not with them. ", spoke a deep gravelly voice next to the duelist. Martinez hopped back a little and readied his dagger but relaxed when he saw an exaggerated contorted face bricked into the roof.

"We are guardians here, we're not minions of those strange animal spirits. ", explained the contorted face. Martinez noted that its face was similar to the other gargoyles in the area. He guessed it was bricked over during some new construction. He heard that gargoyles could remain motionless for years, and this one either fell asleep during the renovation or just didn't care it was being covered up.

"Why tell us this. ", asked the duelist suspiciously.

The head considered his statement and its ears and eyebrows appeared to form a shrug. "We are guardians but not their guardians. I see you and your friends are not the subtle type, and can probably guess the violence that will soon follow. It's obvious you seek the creatures nearby , while the building you are on is not your target. All I ask is you keep the conflict to the other side of the street away from our duty. "

Martinez nodded and looked at the building they were on top of. "A used clothing store? The owner has set gargoyles to protect second hand garments? ", he chuckled.

The head seemed annoyed at his deduction. "Pfft of course not. This building is not what it seems. I will say no more. ", replied the head before falling motionless once again.

Martinez felt he should have been surprised, but he wasn't. Grom City was over a thousand years old. Unlike lost Alphatia, small Glantri City, or even BarkWark, the city wasn't known for its magic, but that didn't mean it did not exist in abundance here. Generations of mages , alchemists and artificers had plied their trade here. There were bound to be oddities like the gargoyles and the building they protected.

"Are you done chatting with….the stone work. ", asked Raoul who either did not see or hear the talking head or just ignored it.

Martinez nodded. "This is the only exit I see. The windows are bricked up. There could be secret passages leading to the street, and most likely one leading to the sewer. I also suspect passages leading to the adjacent building. "Summarized the duelist. " Oh and ignore the gargoyles. ", he added just in case Raoul did not hear his conversation.

The half giant stared at the duelist and nodded, accepting his odd command. "They could attempt to escape by magic. " , he posed .

Martinez shrugged. "I sprinkled some consecrated dust around the area while I was scouting it. It might not be able to stop any travel magic, but it will make it more difficult for them to cast. Maybe buying us a few precious seconds. Also, Rakshasas are proud and very competitive creatures. They won't flee till all is lost, else they lose face before their fellows. So throw in a few taunts and challenges while you fight. The more you seem like a boastful overconfident fool, the more likely they will stick around and fight us."

Raoul chuckled. "Guess you don't need help in that department."

Martinez ignored the jest. "Can you smell how many are in there? "

"Not 100% sure, but I guess a half dozen and about a dozen assorted humanoids. I do not smell any deadly scents, nothing terribly dangerous before us. ", replied Raoul as he reported what he smelled.

Martinez nodded. "The grunting one should already be there. Our plan is simple, we attack as soon as anyone goes into the alley. They keep charmed slaves and most likely employ mercenaries, so we kill or incapacitate anyone we find. "

"Gotcha. Should we warn the city guard or something, maybe tell Stille and Jose where we are. " , asked Raoul as he waited.

"We can handle this. ", stated Martinez but then reconsidered his statement. "Wait. What better way to impress the lady Stille then seeing me in action . " . With that he retrieved a small bottle from his pack with what appeared to be a frozen bird in it. He uncorked the bottle and the small bird miraculously revived then flew obediently before him. The duelist then whispered a quick message to the small avian and it promptly took flight into the night sky.

"And the guard or militia? ", inquired Raoul.

"Pffft…why bother? There's no one there I want to impress. ", scoffed Martinez.

* * *

Jimmez ran as fast as he could . He wasn't sure why , but he wanted to impress Sammy. There was no reason for it, b but he felt a primal need to show this boy who was boss. Despite his rival's fancy armor, towering height, and oddly delicate handsome features, Jimmez was determined to show this pretty boy who was top dog.

"Make sure you come back before your shift starts! ", shouted the bored guard as the boys ran off.

"Yes sire! ", shouted an annoyed Sammy in response. The distraction gave Jimmez a slight lead, but the taller boy quickly made up for it with his longer strides.

Sammy and Jimmez raced through the streets, back to the merchant district with Lally lagging behind them cradling the small furry creature that seemed to have taken a liking to him. After a while the smaller boy cried out to his two elders, and the two racers reluctantly stopped and waited for him . Jimmez thought it was a good time to catch his breath.

"What's your name anyways?", asked Sammy who seemed to take pride in recovering from the sprint first.

"It's Jimmez…" was his response, though he was tempted to add "the demon slayer " behind it.

"Jimmez? That's an odd name. I bet everyone calls you Jimmy, or perhaps Jim. ", laughed Sammy. "Maybe even shorty! " added Sammy with a chuckle.

Jimmez ignored the taller boys mockery. He thought about making fun of his name Sammy but it was too common to actually single out. "What's your story? How did you learn to speak like Lally? " , he asked instead. He wanted to throw in a "you don't look like your dad. ", but that seemed a bit too harsh. He will save that for later. Martinez always said to not use your best attacks till you need to, save them till the time is right.

Sammy's shoulders slumped and for a second Jimmez saw a deep sadness in his rival. "I honestly don't know. My father you saw found me running naked in the streets of Barkwark, starving and lost. I was around two or three. I don't know how I got there, or why I was abandoned, but I assume my parents must have been distant merchants, bad ones at that. He had no luck finding my true parents, so he dragged me along as kind of a mascot for the caravan he worked for. ", explained the boy. Jimmez did not expect such a confession or why he opened up so easily to him, but found he could not bring himself to ridicule his rival's less than proud background.

" Not that I was some dead weight merchant, as early as I could I learned to use armor and weapons. How cool is that?", declared Sammy as a bit of his swaggering self returned. "So what's your story? "

Jimmez's chest puffed up. He wanted to tell him how he was an apprentice demon hunter. He didn't really care for the fact he was an orphan similar to Sammy, or he had spent most of his life as a serving boy for the Lady Stille, he just wanted to get to the good stuff. He had long practiced his boasting, and was ready to list off all the creatures he had killed in the line of duty. From the swift blood sucking stirge, to a monstrous fiendish ogre he helped Martinez dispatch. Before he began though, he was rudely interrupted.

The small creature that Lally was holding hair stood on end and it hissed. Jimmez was at first concerned about the small boys safety, and hoped it wouldn't begin scratching Lally , but then he noticed the small creature had orientated itself pointing down the busy street.

Jimmez looked and saw nothing unusual at first. It was night time in the merchant's district and many taverns and restaurants were still full of patrons. A squad of militia was doing their best attempt at marching orderly, some harlots were plying their trade in the shadows. Even a few peddler carts and food stands were busy hawking their gear.

Jimmez would have dismissed the entire incident except he smelled something off. It was similar to the brimstone scent that demons gave off but was heavily mixed with a spiced smell and the exotic aroma of incense. The strength of the smell indicated it wasn't a common tiefling or errand running imp, but something much more dangerous. Jimmez ushered his two confused companions into the alley and scanned for whatever was triggering his senses.

Many demons walked the streets of Grom. They were often in disguise and almost never benevolent. There were a few exceptions of course, but demons often meant bad news. Most people did not know there was an unwritten code that they were allowed in the city unless they made trouble. If they did so, people like the Royal Adventurers, or Demon Hunters like Martinez would hunt them down. For the most part it was a workable but strained relationship. The Grommers prevented a bloodbath on the streets , and the demons were able to conduct their nefarious business in peace. The likelihood of the creature suddenly laying waste to this crowded street was small, but Martinez had taught Jimmez well. Better to give the creatures a wide berth if possible.

"What is it? " whispered Sammy. From his panicked pet and Jimmez's swift evasion , he sensed something was terribly wrong.

Jimmez scanned the street and spotted him. A man in dark silk robes. It appeared he was walking and searching for something. The streets of Grom hosted many foreigners so he did not look out of place. Jimmez's eyes were sharp though , and he noticed the man's ears appeared backwards. Jimmez thought the chances of this disguised demon suddenly breaking the peace and attacking them were small, but something basic and primal inside him told him to run.

"I know a short cut. " was Jimmez's only reply and the others followed him through the alley.

Though Jimmez had only been in Grom City for a short while, the boy discovered and mentally mapped all the alleys and backstreets in the merchant district. It was a task given to him by Martinez, but he admitted he probably would have explored them anyways due to his curiosity. The young demon hunter lead his small group well away from the man in dark silks and through the side streets of the quarter.

"Well well well , look what we have here. Didn't think we'd find you guys again. ", said a loud confident voice from an alley.

Jimmez's band stopped as a large group of youths emerged. He immediately recognized some from the group he met earlier, and others much older and bigger. He guessed that a few were actual minor criminals and they were well accustomed to violence.

Jimmez knew it would be futile to fight so many and especially on their own turf. If he ran , then he had a good chance of escaping but the others would surely be caught and beaten. He didn't care much about Sammy but Lally was just a kid, and his meal ticket.

The young demon hunter decided to attempt to bluff his way through, but before he began Sammy stepped up and confronted them.

"We don't want any trouble, but I'll give you plenty if you want. ", boasted the tall boy. Though Sammy was tall, he was still smaller then some of the bigger ruffians. While Sammy was lanky, the larger hoodlums were quite broad and muscular.

One of the boys that Jimmez had encountered earlier stared at Sammy then laughed. "Look! Another stinkin foreigner. This one even parrots our speech and pretends to be a guard or something! ", he said derisively. The other boys joined his mocking laughter .

Sammy was not impressed. He suddenly lunged forwards and smashed the boy's nose with an upward strike with the palm of his hand. Jimmez recognized the move from his training with Raoul, as a disabling attack. The young guard executed it flawlessly, and the taunting boy soon fell on his behind , bawling in pain.

"I told him there would be trouble. Who else wants some pain?", challenged Sammy. Jimmez thought his intimidation tactics were fair, but his delivery could use some work. Instead of fleeing the gang of youths surged forward towards the surprised young guard. Sammy managed to clock the first one as he rushed him, but the others literally bull rushed him to the ground. The young guard punched and kicked ferociously but was soon overwhelmed by their sheer numbers.

Jimmez smirked at the fate of his overconfident companion. He was content to take Lally away and come back for Sammy after he got his proper lumps. However something didn't sit right with him. Instead of taking cover from the distraction provided, he found himself wading into the mass melee.

Though he was small for his age, Jimmez had trained in hand to hand with both the half giant pugilist Raoul, and the reluctant Lucha Master Jose. The young demon hunter climbed atop some crates before launching himself with a leap at the gang of youths. He smashed one boy's back with his hard elbow, before he began tossing the boys aside, using their own unfocused momentum against them.

Jimmez attack gave pause to Sammy's attackers, and the young guard seized the initiative by swinging in a more classical pugilistic style. He punched one out , while knocking a tooth out of another's mouth. Though the youths still outnumbered the two boys greatly, they had little combat experience besides picking on the small and weak, while their foes appeared to have quite a bit of skill . The onslaught was nearly enough to break their morale.

Jimmez saw the big nosed youth he crossed paths with earlier in the evening. The young demon hunter feinted an attack at him, and that was all that was needed to begin the route. The big nosed boy was the first to panic. "Run away! Run away! ", he shouted as the gang of hoodlums dispersed from the alley.

After their brief skirmish, Lally ran from the spot he was hiding behind. He ran to Jimmez first then towards Sammy . The taller boy had a black eye and a split lip, but his spirit did not seem hampered. " I think I broke two of their noses. That'll teach them. ", he bragged proudly, seemingly taking all the credit for the victory.

Jimmez coughed. "Who else wants some pain?...what kind of line is that? And what? No thanks Jimmez for watching my back even when I did something stupid and suicidal? "

Sammy stared at Jimmez with a hard stare. He did not enjoy having his his thunder taken away from him during his great victory. Jimmez half expected the taller boy to lunge forward and attempt to smash his nose, but Sammy's hard stance softened instead. "Thank you. I honestly didn't expect you to back me up. You fought well." He said with a tip of his head.

Jimmez didn't expect that kind of reply from his rival. "You fight pretty good yourself.", he responded.

As the pair complimented each other Sammy, sat on a crate and coughed some blood. He apparently did not escape the battle unscathed.

As the young guard attempted to recover on the crate Jimmez retrieved a small container of healing ointment and walked up to Sammy. "Here let me take a look .", he said before grabbing the taller boy's chain coifed head .

Sammy seemed shocked, and struggled briefly, but relaxed when he saw the healing cream. Jimmez applied it skillfully to his eye and lip, and the ointment swiftly closed any cuts and rejuvenated the surrounding skin . Jimmez was pleased with his work and thought it worthy of Lady Stille, however he felt awkward when he noticed Sammy shivering , and breathing quickly at his touch. Despite fighting side by side with the tall youth, Jimmez thought he was definitely weird. The sooner their business was concluded the better.

"I think we should skip the Menagerie and head straight for Lally's house. Those boys might come back, with weapons and other crap next time. ", suggested Jimmez.

Sammy smiled and giggled. " Are you scared? Did you think our victory a fluke? I can take Lally to see the sights while you wait if you want. ", teased the taller boy. With that he waved Lally to him , and the pair began walking away.

Jimmez chuckled as he noticed they were walking the wrong way. He swiftly rejoined them. "You two are hopeless, you'll get lost that way.", he cautioned before redirecting them to their original path.

* * *

Stille thought she was hopeless; she shook her head and attempted to recover her wits before she became lost in the paladin's eyes. There was something about the battle and his heroism that brought out the romantic in the old baroness. It made her feel young again. She felt she was once again a maiden being rescued by a brave knight in shining armor. Perhaps Jose reminded her of her departed husband, a powerful knight in his own right. The fact she discovered he had been staring at her admiring her beauty , and not scanning her for evil all this time , suddenly made their relationship …complicated. She never considered Jose handsome like Martinez, but she admitted he had that strong charismatic lure that all paladins seem to have. She wondered why she felt herself drawn to him now. Was it the fact he saved her life? Or maybe it was the City? The capital always stirred up fond memories for her. Maybe it was his Lucha Daro fighting , she had never witnessed it before but it was definitely thrilling to watch . It was an exhilarating combination of passion and violence.

Though she had amorous thoughts of Jose, she knew it was just a simple lustful emotion, a fleeting pleasant thought. They were just passing feelings brought up by the stress of battle. She was over three times his age after all, and they had nothing in common outside of professional interests. She would not allow herself such a base indulgence.

"Baroness…are you well?", asked Jose as he attempted to adopt a formal speech pattern as he glanced at the day dreaming Stille.

"Oh, I'm quite fine thank you. ", sighed the priestess.

"Excellent…..Martinez and Raoul went off to partake in the Admiral's Gala, we should find the pair of them there. I will get us there with utmost haste. ", noted the paladin as he concentrated into the sky. A few seconds later , a large green furry dog the size of a horse appeared before them. It resembled the mighty husky that Jose's order was named after, and it wore both barding and a saddle .

"Greenpaw ! To Admiral Edmund's Manor! ", declared Jose as he hopped on the dog. Though the monstrous dog was by most accounts quite terrifying to behold, Stille never had a problem with it. The fierce creature reminded her of her own pet dire wolf she had over a hundred years ago. It's name was Freiki and it selflessly sacrificed itself to save her.

Jose offered a hand to Stille so she can presumably sit behind him. The baroness hesitated at the offer. Did he expect her to sit close to him and wrap her arms around his strong torso? Daydreaming of the paladin was one thing, but such close physical contact was quite another.

"Baroness?", repeated Jose again, slightly confused.

Stille paused then smiled and accepted his offer.

"Hold on tight! ", he declared as the powerful Greenpaw raced through the streets. Stille pressed scandalously close to him , and wrapped her arms around the paladin's manly waist. She can permit herself one indulgence she thought, as she rested her head on his strong back.


	7. Chapter 7

A lone guardsman walked nervously down the street . Judging by his gait and apprehensiveness, from his vantage point Martinez guessed he was neither confident or competent. As he approached the alley they had been observing, the man suddenly ducked into it . Martinez turned and glanced at Raoul at this turn of events.

"He's not a demon, and he's not charmed either. ", offered the half giant.

"I'm not an idiot. I see that. What do you make of it though? Does the Rakshasa have …ahem…how should we say…catspaws hidden in the militia. ", chuckled the duelist at his own cleverness.

Raoul rolled his eyes, "It appears so. Vinnraj is suppose to be a pretty wealthy place I heard, with lots of evil spirits about. "

Martinez nodded, "Aye…supposedly buildings made of gold, gems the size of fruit, and other such nonsense. It's all musk ox baloney I say. It's like the rumors of the Great Vault , the Plateau of Velmon, and other such children's tale. I'm sure the place is wealthy , but c'mon buildings made of precious metals? How do they even stand without collapsing from the weight?" , asked the duelist as the man in the alley appeared to wait nervously. Though their plan was simple enough, it was dependent on one thing, that the entrance was open . They would only have a small window of opportunity to force their way in, and so far no such portal has presented itself.

Raoul shrugged. "Magic can do all sorts of stuff. Back in my homeland , they told me that buildings were made of sand and supported by the ribs of some monstrous unknown creatures."

Martinez looked puzzled. "Wait…Isn't your family from Darokin like myself?"

Raoul sighed. "Yes they are, I mean where they originally migrated from. Athas, the land with a dark sun, and endless deserts. "

Martinez chuckled at his comrades ridiculous statement. Deserts are suppose to be hot. How could a black sun radiate any heat he thought. He chalked it up more as another half giant tall tale, rather than any useful geographical lore he should remember.

"Giants come from many lands. They are an adaptable people that are known to not only live in harsh deserts but also in desolate volcanoes, underwater, and even the frozen tundras. ", spoke a soft feminine voice behind them.

Martinez was shocked at this sudden voice and in a single motion, managed to twirl and greet it with his dagger in hand. Raoul on the other hand held a hand in front of his ally.

"I smelled you and the tiefling earlier, but I didn't realize you were after the same prey.", responded the half giant.

Martinez saw that Raoul was addressing an odd looking young woman but saw no sign of a tiefling. Even though she was crouching he could tell she was extremely tall. Not as tall as his comrade, but still a half foot taller than himself. Besides being tall, she appeared very athletic and muscular, and was dressed in ornate gold and blue scale armor. What was unusual about her was that she had extremely pale skin and long white hair, practically an albino. At her side it appeared she was wielding some form of oversized blade staff. She gave off an overall impression of danger about her.

Martinez scrutinized the interloper and there was something about her movements and the way she carried herself that he found familiar, then it finally dawned on him. "Another half giant? ", he asked.

The woman seemed surprise at the duelist's deduction ." I applaud your powers of observation. I am not quite what you label a half giant, but something very close. You can call me the Ivory Lady."

Martinz shrugged. "I heard tales of you. Are you the one that has her own fiefdom in Vinnraj? If so, that explains why you are here I guess. ", noted the duelist . "Sorry Ivory, this contract is taken. We got here first. "

Raoul shook his head. "Technically she got here first. I detected her and her partner earlier , but wasn't sure of their intent at the time. "

Martinez still could not see a tiefling and shot his so called ally a withering glare. He was gonna blow this this, and cost them not only the bounty, but points with the Sardar . He considered kicking the big oaf , but thought better of it. They were too exposed on the roof, best to save the kicking for later.

Before the two demon hunters began bickering amongst themselves, the Ivory Lady held up a hand to silence them. "Fear not, I wish nothing for your contract, and the bounty that comes along with it. I have been called forth from Vinnraj to slay the beasts that have killed many children in the past. That is an unforgivable sin and I am here as a point of honor and vengeance rather than to acquire gold and fame. I , like yourselves, have tracked the Rakshasa's to this lair and like yourselves I am awaiting for an opportunity to strike them down. There are more of them than I anticipated and I wish to propose an alliance, since our goals appear to be compatible. ", the tall young woman responded.

Martinez and Raoul exchanged glances. Martinez twitched and eyelash which in their own private code, told his companion he wasn't sure about this. Raoul wrinkled his nose in return , which signaled he was in favor of the plan. After about ten seconds Martinez sighed . "Okay sister . You can come along, but we do things my way. I only agree to this because it's better we keep an eye on you , than having you run around and possibly spoiling our attack. "

"Agreed. ", the Ivory Lady replied before the trio settled in. They watched the lone guard who was nervously waiting in the alley.

"So….you come to Grom City often?", asked the half giant.

"I've been here once or twice, but that was over a century ago. I'm sure everyone that I know here is long dead. My experience here was mixed at best. I got shot by a hundred arrows here once.", smirked the Ivory Lady.

"Oooh…..I hate it when that happens. " Raoul said empathically.

* * *

"Don't you just hate it when this happens. ", smirked Jimmez as he watched Sammy stalk around the Menagerie. Though the young pretend guard promised he could get them into the Warehouse of Wonders for free, it was all apparently some great boast. The boy seemed to walk around the back wall of the building in frustration, unable to penetrate the interior. " I mean if you can't get in just say so. Poor Lally is confused as much as me , as to why we are here and not returning him to his family . "

Lally was indeed confused but the long furry creature in his arm was making calming clicking noises. The furred creature seemingly lulled the young boy to simply followed his older peers without too much hassle.

Sammy motioned Jimmez to be quiet. The young demon hunter was about to protest but then he saw a shadow from one of the warehouse's high windows appeared. The shadow appeared to be moving methodically across the window , and soon it was gone.

"That's the guard, you doubting goblin head. ", snickered Sammy. "You aren't very good at this sneaking around stuff are you?", he taunted further with a smile.

Jimmez grew red, but remained quiet. The thrills of seeing the wonders of Porlock's Menagerie would outweigh any slights he had to take from the pretend guard. He guessed Sammy had to get in his shots , since Jimmez had literally saved him from the mob of angry boys earlier.

Sammy waited and appeared to count to himself , after a minute he motioned to the long furry creature in Lally's arms. The bushy beast obediently hopped out of the young boy's arm and onto Sammy's hands. Lally appeared to be distraught at first, but his eyes grew wide as the creature stood up comically on its hind legs.

"I haven't introduced you guys . This is my faithful companion Chit the mongoose. Say hi Chit. ", smiled Sammy. As on cue the furry creature waved its small arms and made soft chittering sounds , much to the delight of the other boys. Lally was more animate about the performance, but even Jimmez cracked a smile at its act.

Sammy grabbed the creature by its long neck to his mouth and kissed it on the head. "Ok Chit, you know what to do. ", he whispered and handed the creature the end of a cord of rope. Chit snapped its jaws shut and immediately began to scamper up the wall. It reached the upper window where they saw the shadow, and unbelievably looped the cord over one of the crenulations that adorned it. It then scampered back down the wall to Sammy's hand. The young guard petted it before returning it back to Lally, much to his delight. Then he tied the cord into a loop and offered it to Jimmez.

Jimmez examined the loop, and wondered if it would hold. He also wondered if this was just a big ploy to make him look stupid. He could well see himself entering the above window, and triggering the wards that must have been there. The guards would seize him, enabling Sammy to return Lally and claim the reward all to himself. He admitted that after the fight with the bullies he trusted Sammy more, but there was something about him that seemed off.

"Are you sure this will work? Are you positive there are no magical protections guarding this place?", asked Jimmez once again.

"Of course I am. I told you I snuck in there once. Are you scared or something?" Sammy shot back.

Jimmez wasn't about to admit his doubts, but then an idea dawned on him.

"Ladies first. ", snickered Jimmez as he pushed the loop back.

Sammy stopped and glared at Jimmez . Not angrily as the young demon hunter hoped to evoke, but in a kind of a shock. The young guard quickly recovered and smiled before securing the loop to his waist. Then with practiced skill he swiftly climbed the wall , with the cord as support. When he reached the top, the young guard probed the window carefully with a knife. Miraculously the window came open easily. Sammy gave a thumbs up , before crawling through the opening.

Jimmez looked on in surprise. Sammy was telling the truth , there weren't any wards or protections on this place. He wasn't sure why there wouldn't be any , unless the owner relied on fear to keep trespassers away. Lally began to babble and it appeared he wanted to go up as well. He wasn't sure what Sammy told him, but Jimmez decided it would be best if he was the last one to go up. The young demon hunter secured the young boy to the loop and pulled the cord lifting him up.

The boy kicked and wiggled merrily as he was lifted up , and Jimmez half expected him to start to swing or something. It would have been disastrous if he did, and unhook the cord from the crenelation that Chit had secured. Luckily he didn't and Sammy grabbed and hefted him through the window. Jimmez half expected the alarms to go off then, but once again there was no signs of any magical defenses. The loop was lowered once again, and Jimmez eagerly attacked the cord . The wonders of Porlock's menagerie awaited him.

As he made his way to the window. He was surprised that from where he dangled he could catch a glimpse of the displays inside. There was something resembling a stone suit of armor. Several dragons of various sizes, mounted and posed in various frightening stances, even what appeared to be a weapon rack with weapons too exotic for a common warrior to know what end to hold. Jimmez could not wait to see this place for himself. With a shove of the window the young demon hunter quickly scrambled inside.

*WAHH WAHH WAHH WAHH *

The three uninvited boys stopped as the alarm suddenly went off.

* * *

"Look, I know I'm uninvited , but there's no need to sound the alarm my good man. I just need to talk to one of your guests. ", argued Sir Jose in his formal voice to the Admiral's doorman.

"The Admiral and his guests are in the middle of a private social gathering. Unless your name is on the guest list, I suggest you wait for the gala to conclude. Preferably off the property and take your big green dog with you, so we don't have to suffer your presence. ", replied the doorman in his most condescending tone.

"Look here. Not only is it important, but it might be a matter of life or death. ", exclaimed Jose .

"Yes I am sure it is. Look here Sir Hoe-say or whatever your name is, the social elite of Grom is at the Gala right now. You aren't the only one that has been star struck and wished to rub shoulders with the high and mighty of our City . If you were suitably attired and actually resemble one of our guest's servants I might be convinced to deliver this message, however judging by the look of you, it appears you were involved in a brawl recently, and from the smell, I would say in a bar. There is no way I will embarrass the estate of the Admiral by letting a drunk crash his party. ", declared the doorman.

Jose hands shivered as he considered throttling the man, but instead he took a step back and took a deep breath. "Yes, I was in a brawl recently, and yes it was in a bar, however that is the nature of my message. I wish to inform my ally Martinez that we were attacked by evil tiger spirits, and we need his assistance to track these creatures down before people are killed. ", explained Jose while containing his frustration.

"I don't have time for this.", declared the doorman. "Please leave the premise. If there are demons or spirits, then seek the militia or the Royal Guardsman, otherwise I can not help you. Begone , else I call them myself. "

Jose had had enough, he motioned for his blade but a gentle touch stopped him. The knight looked at Lady Stille and was calmed by her serene visage.

"Let me try to reason with him Sir Jose. ", the priestess smiled.

The doorman looked impressed by the beauty before him but his stance did not soften. "Sorry lady, no entrance to the Admiral's gala except by invitation. "

Stille sighed and for a second Jose thought she had quit before she even started. "Look under Lady Sharliss von Veb. I should be on the guest list. I always am. "

The doorman scoffed at her but his eyes grew wide when he scanned the list. A moment of confusion descended on him and he quickly waved over an elderly servant and pointed to the name.

The elderly servant smiled and waxed nostalgically. "Oh that reservation is for Lady Sharliss of Veb, The Emperor's godchild and one of his favored subjects. A pretty thing if I recall, but she went into seclusion about thirty years ago after her husband died. The Emperor and most of the social elite were heartbroken that she didn't attend their parties, balls, and galas but they kept an open invitation for her if she ever returned. Of course, she never does , but it's a tradition I guess. "

Stille then pointed to her coat of arms on her battered shield. It was an obscure symbol consisting mainly of a crude drawing of a strong man wrestling a bull over a river dividing an two different armies. They symbolized the mighty Sampson defeating the mad cow of Veb, and General Monte Nabisco's victory over the Dark River horde in their barony. A normal Grommer would not recognize it as the Heraldry of Veb, but the doorman did.

The confident doorman seemed stunned and unable to decide what to do next. "If you want, I'm sure someone in this get together will recognize me. I know that the Admiral certainly does. I'm sure he will be pleased to see me, despite the wait I had to endure. ", she remarked coolly.

Stille and Jose were soon ushered inside with utmost haste as the doorman relented. The doorman did not know the exact whereabouts of Martinez and Raoul , but did recall that Admiral Edmund wished to see them. He offered them an escort to direct them to the Admiral, but Stille waved him off stating she had a good idea where he was. Before the doorman knew what was happening the Baroness and the paladin stalked off into the gala.

The party was everything that Jose thought it would be. Knights and heroes in their grandest finery were mingling with damsels and noblewomen attired in spectacular form accenting gowns. In the background, servants rushed to serve the most tantalizing of dishes, while musicians played beautiful haunting melodies. Jose was ashamed that he looked so out of place. Despite her battered armor, he noted that the Baroness seemed to blend in and shine through the crowd.

Several times it appeared that someone recognized her, but she took Jose's arm and hurriedly walked past them, using the paladin as a shield.

When they finally crossed the main ball room pair exchanged uneasy glances and Jose noted a hint of embarrassment in his lovely companion.

"I assume you don't like parties? ", he said with a chuckle.

" We don't have time for socializing. I had my share of these events when I was younger. It's not the same without my husband. He was a remarkably good dancer. ", she said with a sad smile.

Despite his better judgement Sir Jose suddenly took her arm , then spun her outward before reeling her in again. He then stepped pivoted and rotated , while appearing to displace one of her legs with his own. Stille responded by whipping her free leg energetically in front of her before dragging backwards to her now weighted leg. Someone then threw a rose into the air, which Jose easily caught between his teeth. The couple then sauntered rhythmically back and forth for a few moments, before they dipped dangerously to the ground. They remained in their precarious position, nose to nose , breath to breath for a few seconds then Jose brought them back up again.

A small crowd that had gathered to witness the pirouetting display clapped in delight at the performance.

"I've been called a remarkably good dancer on occasion. ", he commented with a smile.

* * *

Martinez smiled as their vigil was finally over. A crack in the wall opened to reveal a conceal door for the nervous guard. That was what they were waiting for and they jumped at the opportunity.

Raoul began by calling forth a throwing hammer made of pure force. He tossed the weapon at the surprised guard and struck him squarely to the side, crumpling him in the alley with its power.

Martinez and the Ivory Lady both descended and rushed the revealed entrance. Ivory seemed to float to the ground while Martinez leaped to the far building's walls, leaped off the structure to a light post, balanced him self on the post for a few seconds before diving into the alley in a combat roll.

"Show off. ", scoffed Raoul as he descended by a more traditional method, rope.

Martinez saw the faint outline of something bestial in the the darkness beyond the concealed door. He fired his crossbow directly at it , and an animal like grunt erupted from the alley. The creature then began working some mechanism and the concealed door began to close. Martinez slid into the shrinking portal, and saw that the creature he struck appeared to be a man in dark silks. The duelist's keen eyes was sure that this was the same creature that had escaped from the Admiral's Gala earlier, and fired another bolt at it.

The creature bended unnaturally and avoided the shot. Then it screeched in fury as it tore its silken mask and robes off , revealing a terrible monster resembling a black furred snow ape. It pounded its chest before charging the duelist in a rage. Martinez noted that the concealed door was still closing and knew he had to dispatch this beast swiftly before he was trapped with possible reinforcements arriving. The creature swung its massive ape arms at the duelist, and Martinez barely was able to tumble backwards to avoid the strike. He drew and threw a dagger at the creature at the end of his roll and caught it square in the belly. The creature roared again, frustrated that is normally impervious hide was being penetrated by the demon hunter.

Just then the sound of grinding stone halted the battle, and Martinez saw that the Ivory Lady had placed herself between the two shifting stone walls. She braced her back on one wall while her legs pressed hard against the other. The building seem to shake as sparks flew out of the floor as whatever mechanism which triggered the concealed door was halted.

The ape creature roared once again, and unleashed twin rays of fire at his foes. Martinez easily avoided the blast directed at him, while a dark form intercepted the one against the Ivory Lady. Raoul grunted as he summoned forth his internal reserves to absorb the fiery blow. It seemed to scorch his skin, but his flesh seemed to effortlessly grow and replace his blackened hide.

"Please. Using fire again? Don't you have any new tricks? ", scoffed Martinez as he positioned himself behind the Rakshasa.

Before he could unleash a series of pinpoint strikes with his dagger, a bladed staff lanced forwards effortlessly into the monster's head. The creature's eye crossed before it collapsed into a rapidly dissolving heap on the ground.

"Hmmm…That was my kill. ", complained Martinez in a good natured tone. The Ivory Lady already said she didn't want a monetary reward, so the duelist was quite happy with any help they got from her.

"I smell five more inside, and about two dozen slaves or guards. ", noted Raoul as he brushed the last of his blackened skin away.

"Then let us be off then. " declared the Ivory Lady , before the trio descended into the Rakshasa lair.

* * *

Sardar Milan descended into a spiral of doubt. It was bad enough that there were Rakshasa's in this foreign slum, but news that the Prince Lalit's bodyguards had been found slaughtered drove him to the edge.

He was the eldest of his generation , and though he could never claim the throne himself, he thought it was his responsibility to ensure that their family would retain their power. Milan cursed himself for not doing more, when Princess Charvi was slain he just thought it was an unfortunate accident. When the lecherous Prince Rajeev was slain , he thought it was Karma and almost celebrated his death. The Prince was not a well liked man and brought shame to the family for his excessive ways, but he did not deserve a death like that. After that incident they sought to protect the last two heirs. The elder Princess Sampada and the younger Prince Lalit . They were both small children at the time, and it was thought that exile would be the safest protection for them. They even had mystics and wise man place wards and protections on the pair for their survival. Sadly the precautions they took were no match against the evil spirits that had cursed their family. Sampada perished in the fire at Barkwark , despite all the wards and guards that Milan had hired. The Sardar even entrusted a celestial mongoose to guard her but it had proven for naught. Security was of course doubled for Lalit, and though it came at an expensive price it was nothing for the almost endless coffers of the Sardar. The efforts seemed to have work though, and the Prince was kept safe for nearly a decade, but tonight's news had floored Milan.

"Have faith Milan. "comforted Admiral Edmund. "There's no sign of Lalit's corpse. They might have taken him to their lair, and if they did Martinez and his companion might have intercepted them. " he said, but Milan knew their was little conviction in his own words.

Even though the Admiral's sitting room was thoroughly thrashed in a melee recently, his mages and servants swiftly cleared and repaired the damage. Milan however did not take advantage of any of the fine amenities that were provided and paced nervously in the room. "I feel so helpless. What can I do? Is my family doomed?", asked the Sardar to himself.

Milan glanced at the Admiral and saw he had no answers. Edmund should have attended to the guests at his party , but had decided to comfort the Sardar in his darkest hour instead. Milan thought for a foreigner he was a very honorable and noble soul.

As the Sardar brooded, a messenger knocked at the door. The admiral waved him inside and he whispered a message into his ear. Edmund frowned and shook his head.

"I have terrible news friend. A patrol has found what appears to be the major domo in charge of Lalit's security. He was discovered a dozen blocks away from the "incident" , slain with his chest cavity cracked open and his heart ripped out. ", reported the Admiral grimly.

Milan considered the information then smiled. "Really? Then there's still some hope! ", beamed the foreign nobleman.

Admiral was shocked at his joyous reaction , but pressed for more information." The man in charge of your nephew's safety has been found dead, in a most macabre fashion. A good man has died. How is this hope? ", pressed Edmund in an annoyed voice.

"The major domo is of a caste much lower than my own, his sacrifice is sad but in the grand scheme of things irrelevant. ", responded Milan in a dismissive voice. Though the Admiral and Sardar were quite cordial and friendly, there still existed many cultural differences between the pair. " The Rakshasa's would not have taken his heart unless they thought it was the Prince's. They do not seek sacrifices that are low born. A security protocol we employ is that in a situation such as this one, the major domo would assume the guise of the Prince and draw his enemies away while the real Prince would theoretically escape. I assume our foe fell for this deception. It does not mean Lalit is out of danger, for they very well might have captured and slain him already, but it does give me hope."

"If we have a piece of Lalit's personal effects, I'm sure my diviners can track him down. ", offered the Admiral.

The Sardar shook his head. "No, the wards that were placed on Lalit render him practically invisible to detection spells. That is why he had survived for so long. It will require more mundane means to find him I am afraid. Hopefully the Major Domo's death has bought him some time to flee from his foes."

The Admiral frowned at how the death of such a loyal and capable servant could be so easily dismissed. " It's a pity you did not contact me about this earlier. Martinez might have been able to hunt these creature's down thus sparing your men and brave servant from being slaughtered."

Milan sighed and agreed. "Yes, the man and his cohort you introduced to me seem competent but a bit uncouth. His ability to detect the Rakshasa is a bit uncanny and might have made a difference if I employed him sooner. My people have not be idle though . When we detected actual Rakshasa's in Thyatis I sent word for our own version of your "demon hunters" from Nashput. Sadly, I haven't heard from them . "

Edmund was intrigued. One of the reasons he became an Admiral was to explore the vast oceans and the foreign lands that were connected by them. "Your homeland has demon hunters as well? Are they swamis, mystics or perhaps holy men of your people ? "

The Sardar sighed, "Alas no. They are mostly foreigners drawn to our lands by the vast wealth we have accumulated. Our own method of hunting demons is much too ritualized and thus slow to be of any use in this situation. Their methods are effective but I would classify them as more reactive then proactive. "

Admiral Edmund nodded as he plainly understood his dilemma. Most branches of the government in Grom were handicapped similarly by the burgeoning bureaucracy, only a few elite branches like the Royal Adventurers, Royal Rangers, or the often hinted at Royal Assassins seemed freed of such unnecessary red tape.

The Sardar closed his eyes at the mention of his land's own demon hunters. " As your lands are plagued by giants and dragons, mine are plagued by evil spirits. We have assembled quite the rogue's gallery of so called heroes from around the world to do battle with them …for the right price of course. The ones that are successful have quite the reputation and are treated like minor nobles. In some cases they are even granted lands for their efforts. In Grom you call them mercenaries, but they go by colorful names in my homeland of Vinnraj. The Hellhound, the Knight in Violet, the Ivory Lady to name a few. "

The Admiral was delighted at discovering this tidbit of information. It was much more interesting than any conversation he would have had if he attended his own gala.

Sardar Milan considered all that had gone in the evening. News that the Major Domo had sacrificed himself to save Lalit's life was heartnening, but the Prince was far from safe. Milan wished that his own summons would have been answered. The demon hunters he had hired seemed confident and competent , but would they be enough?


	8. Chapter 8

Rajah Mogombo's ears perked up, and he emitted a low growl. The Rakshasa lord clad in dark silks crouched in a battle stance sensing something was amiss. He was in the middle of a busy street and the human cattle around him seemed startled by his reaction and backed slowly away .

The night's hunt had gone poorly. His chances for recovering the Prince's heart seemed to be growing slimmer by the hour. Without the heart he was doomed to stay in his current form, with the heart he could become a rare Maharajah or perhaps even a Rakshasa demi god of some sorts. It had been his goal for a while now, but he had always failed to obtain it. As his frustration grew, he discovered a conflicting scent that clawed at his memory. This new aroma had distracted him enough that it made any attempt to track Prince Lalit down impossible. Even worse was that now while he was at the faltering cusp of success, the alarms outside of his sanctuary had been set off. Someone had discovered and infiltrated his sanctuary.

This of course both infuriated the Rakshasa lord and gave him a second of pause. If his lair has been discovered would the humans mount a full scale assault on him soon? Unlike the cattle of Vinnraj, this Grom City possessed a number of dangerous individuals. Though it looked like a human city , there were various creatures that somehow masked themselves and placed themselves in this country's noble courts. A hierarchy that the Rajah wished was installed in his own native lands. Was the reason he was discovered due to a chance encounter or where the fore mentioned creatures actively seeking him out? Most importantly, at least to Mogombo's eyes, did one of his subordinates betray him? Though Kitahria was one of his more useful servants she was also very willful . There had also already been minor hints and complaints that this expedition to this foreign land was folly. Most of his small minded minions did not understand the prophecy and could not relate to the reasons why the Rakshasa lord had moved the bulk of his court to this half frozen wasteland.

Mogombo seethed, regardless of the reason for the alarm. He could not simply flee, but he needed to discover how his lair was exposed, and if there were traitors in his midst. Afterwards he could retreat and relocate.

As the Rakshasa lord decided his course of action a cracked voice brought him to the present. He was still on the street now being gawked at by curious human cattle. "Are you ok mister? We heard that hissing.", asked a nervous youth that had attempted to calm the gathered crowd.

Mogombo considered his response, but decided his fate was sealed. He had been discovered and there was no need for subterfuge. The Rakshasa lord raised his hand and it warped to reveal a hideous paw. He then swiped at the youth several times, slashing his chest and throat with deep cuts.

"Everything is not all right! ", growled the Rakshasa lord.

Panic gripped the Grommers as they fled in fear from his presence.

* * *

Lally screamed in fear as the klaxons sounded around them.

"Look at what you've done! "shouted Sammy as the tall young guard seemed confused at the result of their actions.

"What I've done? What I've done!? You're the one who told me this place wasn't warded. What do you call this you idiot know it all! ", shouted Jimmez in return at his smug companion.

"Lally and I got in here just fine, or did you not see that! I was you that triggered this. ", declared the normally fair faced but now angry youth. Even though his skin was an olive hued, Jimmez could still see him grow red with ire.

As the two boys engaged in a round of assigning blame, Lally shrieked again and pointed down the warehouse's dark halls. A meancing shadow seemed to have been alerted by the alarms and was advancing towards at the trio. It was an ogre sized creature seemingly made of both metal and a collection of mechanical gears, and methodically stalked in a steady gait. The creature was similar to the construct that was manning the ticket both, but much bigger and fearsome in appearance. It gave off a faint smell of burning coal, and it had fiery embers for eyes. Every movement it made was accompanied by a shriek of grinding metal.

The boys were in a panic, it would take too long to safely rappel out of the window and back to the street, and they were much too high to simply jump. Jimmez saw that both Lally and Sammy were between him and the monstrosity and despaired at how they were going to escape.

Sammy of course, was headstrong as usual and barked a challenge towards the behemoth. He stood before it and drew his club and motioned threateningly towards it. To everyone's shock, the creature walked right into and then through Sammy. The surprised boy was literally rushed over and knocked to the side, and narrowly escaped being crushed by its massive feet or slammed into the wall by the construct's impressive bulk. Lally of course, shrieked and ran like an idiot directly to its side, but the mechanical ogre seemed to ignore his presence as well.

Jimmez then wondered if it could even see him. It had reacted to the other boys like they weren't even there. Was this creature simply some sort of custodian and not a deadly guard as he initially suspected. Though the alarm and its introduction seemed somewhat coincidental the creature's reactions did not indicate any direct hostility from it.

Jimmez scrambled and press himself to the wall to test his theory, hoping he was correct. The large construct stopped before Jimmez and raised a large barrel like fist.

"ELIMINATE INTRUDERS! ", it barked as it readied to strike the young demon hunter down. Jimmez was in shock, was Sammy correct, did he actually trigger this. The mechanical horror had indeed ignored the two other boys, but reacted violently against himself. Why were they spared and he wasn't?

Before he could answer, the large construct smashed its massive fist towards Jimmez. The young demon hunter narrowly scrambled out of its way by darting to the side at the last moment!

"Shorty! NO! ", shouted Sammy in horror as the construct appeared to have smashed his new companion to bits. Curiously Jimmez found he felt reassured that Sammy was concerned for his safety rather than feeling fear that the creature before him was trying to flatten him. He wasn't even concerned the young guard called him Shorty, it felt more like a friendly tease than an insult the way he said it. Was this the sort of camaraderie that Martinez and Raoul shared?

Jimmez noted that his foe was much slower than him, and he quickly scrambled behind it. To his surprise, the monster was able to torso twist his entire upper body all the way around, without shifting its legs. Similar to a turreted copula one wound find on armored Grommish vessels, or an owl with its curious rotating head.

Jimmez considered running , but the nearby window was his only known venue of escape. To run further into the warehouse was foolish since it had the possibility of triggering more guards, or perhaps even an intruder immobilizing trap. He had to figure out a way to distract it enough so he could lower himself down to the street.

"You and Lally get out of here, it doesn't see you guys its just after me! ", shouted Jimmez as he thought the other two might as well make a run for it while they can. He wasn't confident that he could evade the beast forever, but he did feel some responsibility for the pair's safety. Despite Sammy's woefully inaccurate boast of the buildilng being unprotected, it was ultimately his idea to come to the Menagerie after all.

Sammy babbled something to Lally and pointed at the window. The smaller boy scrambled to the looped cord and fastened it to himself. Jimmez half expected Sammy to assist the smaller boy but instead the youthful guard screamed a high pitched battle cry and attacked the construct.

The construct was in the process of attempting to strike at Jimmez again, but it suddenly paused from Sammy's attack. Whatever reason that it had to ignore the young guard before seemed voided as the monster suddenly noticed Sammy's presence. It swatted at the boy and managed to clip him lightly on the shoulder. Despite the glancing blow it evoked a muffled cry of pain from the taller boy and sent him sprawling onto the ground. Jimmez's heart stopped as he felt concerned about the safety of his new ally. It raised its fist and attempted to strike him again, but instead it paused and appeared to have forgotten him again. Jimmez breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Sammy taking the opportunity to crawl unceremoniously away. The taller boy appeared to be wounded more in pride than in body. For a second Jimmez hoped it would forget about him as well , but it pivoted again and its glowing ember eyes seemed focused on him .

Jimmez once again noted that the creature's legs and torso were at odd angles. It was a slow ponderous creature he noted, and he recalled Martinez mentioning something about big creatures fall harder or some other combat zen nonsense. Jimmez hopped back again as the creature struck and saw it swayed a little from the force of its own strike.

As he observed the creature, an idea formed in his mind.

"Sammy are you OK?", shouted Jimmez as he kept a safe distance from the monster.

"Yeah. ", coughed the taller boy attempting to hide his battered pride.

"I need you to tackle it from behind next time it attempts to strikes me. Trust me on this!", shouted Jimmez in response. Sammy did not answer, and the young demon hunter hoped he was just conserving his strength.

Jimmez then closed dangerously close to it and positioned himself at its rear right flank. As predicted the metal monster pivoted its torso again. It balanced itself precariously, but the creature's massive legs seemed to support its weight. The creature once again raised its massive fist ready to strike, but instead of leaping to the side Jimmez hopped backwards from the blow. The monster over extended itself in a lunge but unexpectedly managed to extend its arm and strike Jimmez square in the head. Jimmez's eyes exploded in stars, and his last thought was he hoped Sammy was safe. He thought it was an odd thought to have in his final moments , before his mind faded into darkness.

* * *

"Bravo ! Bravo! Your skill in the art of dance is just as light and angelic as I recall! ", declared Admiral Edmund as the small crowd of onlookers dispersed.

The lovely Baroness, attired in battle worn but still stylish black armor, curtsied towards the older gentleman. "Edmund! You've moved up in the world I see. ", she said with a warm smile.

The Admiral grinned proudly and took her armored hand and kissed it lightly. "When my servant told me that a Lady Sharliss had arrived I had to see for myself. ", declared Edmund excitedly. "I thought I would either meet someone outlandish enough to dare impersonate her, or behold once again Grom's most beloved and lovely Baroness. ", declared Edmund loudly for all the gathering crowd to hear.

Stille's pale skin blushed at the comments. "Please Edmund, its Stille now. I love to hear the words of your flattery, but I feel so undeserving of it, especially the way I am attired."

"Ah, you tease me with your allusions of your famous black dresses. Many a sleepless night did I endure because of the tantalizing memory of those daring gowns. ", laughed the Admiral .

The Baroness's dance partner or most likely escort raised an inquisitive eyebrow then glanced an appraising eye at her. "This sounds intriguing. ", he commented with an amused smile.

Suddenly Sardar Milan stepped out from behind a ring of guards and bowed deeply and reverently to the Baroness. "Pardon my intrusion . I am Sardar Milan of the Vinnraj state of Nashput, but I could not help notice that the Admiral referred to you as Lady Sharliss. Are you "the" Lady Sharliss that I have heard so many wondrous swashbuckling tales in Vinnraj about? ", he asked politely.

Sharliss was taken aback by the question but then shook her head. "I highly doubt it. I've never been to your exotic country. "

The Sardar shook his head in disbelief. "Surely you must be the basis of the epics, your beauty is just as the tales described. Blue hair, pale skin, and an almost otherworldy aura. Are you the Sharliss who is the daughter of the Warmaster, and the one that helped saved the world from the hordes of Ogremoch?", he pressed.

Sharliss took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes…my father is the Warmaster….and I did a play a very minor role in that Ogremoch affair. My participation in that quest has been greatly exaggerated it seems. I was more a victim then an active participant actually. ", she sighed reluctantly. "How did you hear such tales , especially from far off Vinnraj? ", she posed in return.

"Ahh, I was fortunate to have a chance meeting with the heroic Captain of the Legendary Acheron of course, and her …very orange companion. They are fabulous story tellers indeed! ", explained the Sardar nostalgically. At the mention of the pair, the baroness's broke into a light smile.

"Daughter of the Warmaster? I thought you said your father was a minor guard officer in Lower Lueders. ", inquired her companion in curious disbelief.

Admiral Edmund laughed, and the growing crowd echoed his humor .

The Baroness smiled, but dismissed the men with a playful wave. "Enough fawning from you well meaning sycophants, I seek two guests at your party. Perhaps you can direct me to them, I was told you had a meeting with the pair earlier. " she inquired.

The Admiral seemed confused, but the Sardar nodded. "Ahh , you must mean that rogue Martinez and his big servant , Ragou or something. They were here earlier. "

"They are gone now? We need to find them right away. I witnessed evil spirits pursuing a boy, and they are the only ones that can track them in time. One even attacked us as well, but Sir Jose bested it with his righteous might. ", the Baroness declared with a wink at her battered looking companion.

The Admiral and Sardar looked at each other in surprise. Edmund guessed she had encountered the Rakshasa as well tonight and she witnessed them pursuing Prince Lalit. He wasn't sure if she saw the actual prince or his presumably disguised major domo, but it did offer more hope.

"The Sardar suspected a plot against the ..boy.. and employed your friend and his companion to seek out these evil spirits. They have already left to due battle with them, but unfortunately we have recently found out that the spirits had already attacked the ..boy.. you saw . We fear the worse, but hearing from you , that he still might be alive , raises his prospects of survival considerably.", explained the Admiral in broad terms, in case more Rakshasa spies were in the area.

As Stille considered her response, a dark red house cat sized humanoid with a demonic but almost comical visage, wings and barbed tail appeared. The admiral seemed displeased at the imp's presence but waved it forward to speak.

"Master…I caught a tiny bird bearing a message for a Lady Stille. ", it hissed while holding a small jar with a fluttering bird inside.

"Oh that's me. ", declared Sharliss. The Admiral recalled hearing that she had begun calling herself that. He then nodded to the creature, and it released the bird which quickly darted towards the Baroness's ear and conveyed its message unheard.

"They found their lair. It's near the harbor in a hidden alley by the old bricked tailor shop.", she explained. "Sorry to cut our reunion short Edmund, but a young life might be at stake. ", she declared. The baroness and her companion then exchanged hard glances before the pair swiftly departed towards the declared destination.

The Admiral considered sending forth a full detachment of guards to assist them while the Sardar looked hopeful at this new development. As he pondered that course of action he decided it was too direct , too dangerous. He knew such situations often required a deft hand to avoid unnecessary civilian casualties. He wasn't sure of the exact situation, but he reasoned stealth might be required. Also Martinez had not sent a messenger to him directly, but curiously to the Baronesses instead. Was she adventuring again he wondered. If so, then Prince Lalit's chances of survival had gone drastically up. The Admiral decided that a more subdued response was required. He signaled one of his servants to have have a patrol of Royal Guardsman brought to the harbor and keep them as a reserve in case things got out of hand.

As the Admiral pondered his response, he suddenly had an idea. "Your ears are sharp….what did the message say exactly?", he asked his small demonic servant.

The creature shrugged. "I could not hear all of it…but I did catch something about…Bam Pregnant …", it said cryptically.

The Admiral shrugged at this useless bit of information. In situations like this, he knew it was best to rely on the specialists that were trained for this kind of thing. He was sure they would conduct this affair with the utmost professionalism.

* * *

"This is the least professional assault of a Rakshasa lair that I've ever seen. Are you sure you people are qualified for this? ", asked the Ivory lady.

Raoul simply shrugged and readied himself for the next assault. A well-muscled man dressed in what could best be described as a collar and a harness , while wielding a heavy mace rushed him. The half giant's senses detected he was not one of their shape shifting foes, so he calmly slammed the blunt end of his staff into his gut, then followed with a swat to the side of his head while he was reeling from the first blow. The man's head exploded in a shower of blood and teeth, before he flew to the side and struck a wall. Despite his now mangled face, he still managed to scramble to his feet. To Raoul's amusement, he remained a hold on his weapon and charged the half giant again. Before Raoul could finish him though, the Ivory Lady's bladed staff impaled him through the chest in a bloody and messy blow. The mad man gurgled and attempted to push himself through the weapon, but it just merely hasten his demise. Finally with his fury spent and his life blood gone he collapsed to the ground with the spear still embedded in him.

"I've seen charmed thralls before, but I've never seen drugged ones. ", noted the tall albino woman in disgust as the last attacker was slain. She mumbled a spell and the corpse trapping her spear froze solid, with a twist his body shattered into frozen chunks, thus freeing her weapon. The halls of the Rakshasa lair still echoed with distant maddened screams, but no attackers were left standing before them.

Raoul bent down and placed a large finger on the lips of one of their unconscious foes, a classic northern beauty with long blonde hair and a muscular physique dressed in red silks. He smelled his finger then frowned. "Black lotus mixed with poppy essence and a bit of dorf root. An evil mixture.", he noted.

The Ivory Lady nodded in agreement then scanned the impromptu battle ground. "Your friend fled pretty fast when the going got tough, why do you even associate with him." , she commented as she saw no signs of the human Martinez.

Raoul simply shrugged and proceeded down the corridor. "He pays well. "he stated. As he filtered through the incense and the nearby reek of death he could smell more Rakshasa further into the lair.

"I also thought mercenaries would be less trusting. I did not think that you would accept my assistance so easily. What if I was a trap sent by the Rakshasa, or heaven forbid I meant to steal your bounty. ", joked the Ivory Lady.

Raoul snorted. "Not my decision. I guess Martinez thought he could take you , if it came to that. He can get pretty arrogant sometimes."

The albino giant laughed at his presumption but continued to follow her new ally.

After a short distance, the corridor reached a make shift guard room with stairs going down as well as doors to the side. The half giant ignored the doors and pointed below . His old staff made of force was flickering so he simply dismissed it and form a new one before descending.

"You know, Rakshasa's are mostly immune to blunt weapons. That spear at your side is more suited to fight them. ", observed the Ivory Lady.

Raoul shrugged again and probed forwards with his staff, a conservative but crude attempt to trigger any traps. The Ivory Lady followed closely behind as they descended the stairs. Eventually the pair reached a large opulent hall with a small archway on the opposite end of the room.

The hall was quite tall, easily thirty feet in some places. Raoul guessed it was previously a weapons hall of some sort, but the Vinnraj spirits had apparently converted into more hedonistic purposes. In the center of the room was a large open fire pit, with what appears to be the grisly remains of a humanoid, half charred and apparently half eaten , burning slowing on a spit. There were dozens of silk beds, surrounded by large pillows scattered about the room. What was more amazing, was that despite the battle that had just taken place above, there were at least a dozen comely humanoids lounging around in a daze in the room. The majority were women dressed in proactive and scanty outfits, but some were men dressed similar to the last man that the Ivory Lady dispatched. There were tall athletic northmen, nymph like elves, dark exotic southerners, and even what appeared to be halo blessed assimars. The beauties simply ignored the two tall intruders and continued to recline in a relaxed drugged state in the room.

The Raoul eyed the room suspiciously and sniffed the air. "More of that vile concoction.", he confirmed with a slight frown.

The Ivory Lady nodded in agreement. "The Rakshasa's have simple desires. The accumulation of power, and to revel themselves in all forms of base , crude, and carnal pleasures. They are very disgusting creatures. ", she spat.

Raoul's eyes narrowed as he scanned the room . The half giant suspected there were hidden enemies about but the strong drug laced aroma required him to take time to filter through the smells. "My people have tales of similar decadence in the harems of the wizard kings of Athas. ", he recalled as he continued his olfactory search.

"My own people of Frosthaven, would never tolerate such a blasphemy. They are a cruel people, but pragmatic and would not permit such base indulgence.

Raoul stopped and raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise. "Wait..you're a frost giant? I assumed from your gait and stance, and your use of magic that you were some sort of Vinnraj version of an ogre ma…", he began but was quickly cut off.

"Do not compare me with those thieving beasts , or our tenuous alliance ends here. Yes I am a Frost Giant, and yes I am very short for my race. I will say no more. ", she grumbled in annoyance. The half giant noted a hint of shame in her voice.

Raoul smirked and was about to probe further, when suddenly the room exploded into howls.

A volley of fire lightning streaked from the corners of the room to the pair of giants, but the Ivory Lady calmly erected a wall of ice to intercept them. The frozen wall shuddered and cracked before exploding in shards of ice, but it had accomplished its goal by absorbing most of their initial impact.

The half giant saw several striped tiger men, a hooded snake man and a creature that looked like a primitive dragon man amongst the thralls. He guessed they were shape changed and lying in wait. They drew scimitars and charged the pair.

"I'll get the crocodile and the cobra spirit, you take the tigers?", the Ivory Lady commanded.

"Tigers? Those aren't tigers, they are missing their big front teeth, and they are also comically striped. They are more like some sort of raccoon house cat spirit. ", noted Raoul loudly. His two attackers paused and roared in anger, infuriated by the insult directed at them.

Raoul swept his force staff in a wide arc at the two raccoon cat spirits , they easily hopped back and dodged, but the half giant's staff managed to clip the snake man's shoulder instead. The blow staggered the oddly hooded creature , but it did not seem to harm it much. The snake man changed its target and rushed Raoul as the half giant assumed a more defensive stance from his now three attackers.

"The staff won't help against these ones, use your spear instead. ", shouted the Ivory Lady as she formed a lance of ice over her head and shot it at the dragon headed spirit, it struck him squarely in the chest, but its legendary spell resistance dissipated the spell easily. Undaunted she stabbed it with her bladed staff, but it easily parried with its scimitar with a strong downward stroke. Though the creature was physically weaker than the small giant, it more than made up the difference with its supernatural speed and skill.

Raoul ignored her advice and deflected an incoming slash by a scimitar with his staff, and brought the haft of his spectral weapon against the ribs of one his attackers. Though it failed once again to hurt his foe , it did knock him back a bit . The third spirit managed to slip past his defenses though and struck the half giant grievously along the arm. It hissed a cry of triumph, but it stopped as the half giant's skin swiftly knitted and reformed itself.

Though Raoul's psychic ability to invigorate himself in the middle of battle was impressive, it was a costly power in terms of draining his inner strength. The half giant knew he would not be able to sustain that effort for long.

"Any time now…", he muttered out loud.

"Hang on ! I have my hands full with this crocodile spirit. Fall back to the stairs in the meanwhile !", grunted the Ivory Lady as she attempted a tripping attack with her bladed staff. The creature before her saw through her strike and hopped to avoid it. Though it evaded the weapon, the miniature giant anticipated this and walked into him and slammed it with her heavy shoulder. The spirit was sent crashing to the ground, where the giant swiftly pinned it with her armored boot . The creature attempted to scramble free, but she stabbed it through the gut with her weapon. It should have been a mortal strike but the creature continued to struggle, claw, and bite from its vulnerable position.

Raoul on the other hand attempted to withdraw to the stairs as suggested, but one of the raccoon cat creatures cut off his escape. He soon found himself backed into a corner as he swept his staff in short controlled arcs to keep his foes at bay. One of the Rakshasa spirits evoked a volley of energy at the half giant, it struck him squarely and staggered him back. The other two sensed an opening and swiftly descended on their dazed and wounded prey.

"Raoul! ", shouted the Ivory Lady as she watched her ally being overwhelmed. She was too far away to lend him assistance , so she stabbed her down foe again in an attempt to finish it, even as it continued to bite and rake her armored leg .

As the half giant braced for the savaging he was about to receive, his two attackers stopped as their backs arched in pain and fountains of blood. The pair of striped cat men fell to the ground face first, as a dark figure appeared suddenly behind them with twin daggers covered in gore and blood. The hooded snakeman barely comprehended what was happening, before one of the daggers stabbed through its lower jaw, pinning it to the roof of its mouth and embedding into its skull. The dark attacker's other dagger gracefully ripped through its throat and then was sent spinning into the other side of the room, catching the struggling dragon man between the eyes in a single smooth motion.

Regardless of the violence and the carnage around them, the drugged slaves simply ignored the mayhem as they continued to lounge about in their daze.

The Ivory Lady looked at the fatal wound the man inflicted and was stunned. Seldom had she seen such lethal skill in battle.

"So you're a frost giant, that is quite remarkable. I would have guessed you were some sort of shape changed cloud or storm giant. From my experiences with Frost Giants, most appear to be crude brutes, not as lovely as yourself. I would love to hear the tale of how a member of that savage people became a graceful noblewoman in exotic and tropical Vinnraj. ", Martinez cooed as he retrieved his dagger. Raoul chuckled, his boss had the annoying habit of constantly flirting, regardless of the race or physical compatibility.

"You…you were here the whole time…listening?", concluded the Ivory Lady in shock.

"If I was eavesdropping on your conversation, I deeply apologize. As Raoul can attest, I was hidden waiting for an opportunity to strike down our true foes. I did not wish to tip my hand against their crude minions. I could have entered the fray sooner, but like the patient eagle I waited till my foes were positioned close together, allowing me to be able to inflict maximum retribution on them. ", boasted the duelist while his sidekick nodded in agreement.

" Don't be too impressed, he can only do that when he catches his foes off guard. That's why he needs me, and that's why I was using the staff. It presented them with easy prey. Without someone getting their attention, he's really quite pathetic .", shrugged the half giant once again.

Martinez fumed at the comment and wound up in preparation to kick the half giant. Before he could execute his futile and most likely foot breaking blow, the arch at the back wall of the room exploded. Amidst the rubble and dust a massive creature entered the room. It was a bestial headed creature, a good fifteen feet tall, with large floppy ears, grey skin, a pair of massive tusks and a trunk. It wielded a large club reinforced by bands of crude iron. The creature snorted ferociously before it trumpeted a battle cry and charged the trio.

"A pygmy hairless mammoth man ! ", shouted Raoul and Martinez in mocking surprise at their new attacker.


	9. Chapter 9

Jimmez awoke to a heavy sting to the cheek. He could feel his head spinning and had trouble focusing due to the pain in his head. His vision was a soft blur and for a second he thought an angel had revived him.

"WAKE UP!", shouted Sammy , and slapped Jimmez hard to the face again.

The young demon hunter held his hand up as a sign of mercy and painfully scrambled to his feet. They were in an alley, well and away from the Porlock's Menagerie. He could see both Lally and the small long furred creature staring at him hopefully . Sammy's chain coiffed face was streaked with tears as he sighed relief . Then in a move that shocked Jimmez he gave the shorter boy a most unwelcome hug. Despite his wooziness , Jimmez pushed the taller boy away from the embrace.

"What's with the hugs and the tears ? Are you queer or some sort of crybaby or something ? ", Jimmez snorted ignoring the pain . He touched his head and felt a nasty bruise on his forehead.

"I just rescued, you ungrateful wretch. Is this how you repay me? " scolded Sammy in disbelief.

Jimmez wasn't sure what his rival's problem was, but he dismissed it as simply first time battle nerve jitters. "I guess my plan worked eh? The creature was knocked unbalanced and fell to the ground, thus giving you a chance to escape. ", he grinned proudly.

Sammy sighed but nodded. "Yes , the creature overextended itself when it clocked you so to speak. I push from the rear was all it took for it to crash to the ground. It struggled to rise again, but by that time we made good our escape. Your plan worked perfectly except for the part that it clocked you in the melon.", he snickered.

Jimmez nodded and wondered why the taller Sammy seemed so disjointed from the whole affair. He expected him to brag about how he rescued him , but no boasting of that sort came. Instead he sensed a genuine worry from the taller boy. Jimmez wasn't sure how to react to that. Since he left the Barony of Veb to apprentice under Martinez he made few friends that were of his age. Truth be told , even when he was in the barony he had few companions or playmates . Jimmez didn't consider himself a loner, but circumstances always seemed to force him into solitude. From working long hours at Baroness Stille's keep to training under his current formidable masters, Jimmez had little time to form any lasting friendships. Even when he met Sammy, who was most likely similar to age to him, he had an easier time accepting him as a rival rather than an ally. Now after that harrowing experience against the mechanical guard, could the two be considered friends now? He heard from Raoul and Sir Jose, that battle often had a way of forging unlikely alliances and lasting bonds, was this such a case? Even though it was his idea that had bought Sammy enough time to escape, the taller boy did take the time to rescue him as well. Was that act enough to consider him a friend? He admitted he was a bit jealous of the taller boy in many respects, even though his skin was darker than his own, he had a clear complexion rather than Jimmez's muddy one. Height was also a big factor, since Jimmez had known the scorn for being a runt all his life. Finally the fact that Sammy was given armor and weapons seemed to piss Jimmez off the most. The young demon hunter had faced off against everything from stirges to ogres and was still not allowed to carry anything more than a dagger around. He was sure Sammy was allowed to play guard simply to keep him out of trouble, but the entire notion seemed so unfair. Jimmez knew Sammy wasn't a bad guy , and most of the faults that he had found in him wasn't his fault, but was this enough to make them friends? Espeically after knowing him a few scant hours?

"Thanks…for saving me. ", blurted Jimmez suddenly. He wasn't sure why he said it , but when he did it felt right.

Sammy smiled and attempted to hug him once again, but Jimmez took a step back and evaded his grasp. "Look , no hugging ok?", he demanded once again. He could accept the taller boy's friendship, but not his hugs.

"Ok. ", laughed Sammy lightly. "That's enough excitement for the night I think. Let's get Lally home before my shift starts. ", stated the taller boy .

Jimmez agreed. Sammy was definitely an oddball, but the young demon hunter admitted he enjoyed his company. Martinez told him once that you can pick your acquaintances, but you can never really pick your true friends. Jimmez never really understood that statement till now.

* * *

Sir Jose could not understand the emotions he felt as he rode on Greenpaw with the Baroness holding on tightly at his waist . Now for some reason he felt a strong desire for her that he never knew he was capable of.

He always regarded the Baroness as an ally, a beautiful ally but that was all. Despite his Lord Rollo's objections, Jose had courted many pretty girls in secret during his training as a knight. The charismatic was no stranger to the attentions of a fair damsel, but unlike Martinez he often kept his many trysts discreet. The Baroness was quite lovely , but there was something about her, beyond her generous physical characteristics, that he found alluring . Of all his companions she was the most aloof and distant from him. Martinez was an old friend, while Raoul was a drinking buddy. The Baroness on the other hand was someone he didn't see or associate with unless they were on the trail of a demon. Ironically, from his talks with Raoul he knew she herself had some fiendish heritage of some sort. He assumed that her mutation or taint was simply her odd color haired, but he suspected she might have had a patch of scales or perhaps some other unsightly blight she kept hidden. Despite the fact he was a demon hunter and she was a tiefling, he never held that against her . After all , one of his Order's most important past Champions was a tiefling . It had always been one of his Order's tenets to judge people by their actions rather than their appearance.

As an adventurer he had a high opinion of her skill. Jose always respected her healing ability , it was not earth shattering power she possessed, but her skill in restoration was quite remarkable. She was more competent than most priests in skill at arms and he knew what she was capable of in combat, but tonight was the first time they had fought back to back in a desperate situation together. He always knew she wouldn't flee if things got rough, but it was reassuring to see her stick by his side when things got desperate.

Although the Baroness often claimed to be a minor noble adopted by humble parents, the information he gleaned from Admiral Edmund and Sardar Milan was quite eye opening. Apparently she was the daughter of the "The Warmaster ". "THE WARMASTER", he corrected himself. A hero so famous, that even in his home land of North Darokin they had heard and were inspired by him. She was also quite famous in her own right it seems, the Sardar had heard of her exploits from far off Vinnraj. Sir Jose wondered if she was truly that humble or simply enjoying some private joke at everyone's expense. From Martinez's constant attentions to her, he guessed his cocky friend either knew or suspected this as well. The paladin admitted that he was a bit dense sometimes, and he wondered why he couldn't see past the Baroness's seemingly harmless deception.

Jose pondered why his feelings for this woman had changed so drastically tonight. Did he somehow like being deceived? Did the danger of battle brought out hidden desires that he wasn't aware of ? Was he star struck by her famous heritage?

No, he corrected himself. That wasn't it. Maybe it was the fact that they both hailed from the bottom strata of society, yet despite this they managed to rise somewhat to a respectable level. He could respect that even as an orphaned tiefling she somehow made something of herself. A lot of course had to do with her father, but Jose knew her strong will helped as well. It was quite an accomplishment for her, but was it a feat that could bring out his desire for her? Somehow he was smitten with her during the battle with the Rakshasa back at the inn. He wasn't sure how or why it happened, but it just did. He knew he was unworthy of such a noblewoman's attentions, but it grated on his mind , especially since she was holding on to his waist so tight at that moment. He regretted dancing the forbidden dance with her earlier, but the temptation was too great given the circumstance and opportunity presented to him.

"Near the harbor in a hidden alley by the old bricked tailor shop….that's not exactly accurate directions. ", commented Sir Jose as he attempted to make talk to distract himself.

"No it isn't. Believe it or not, I know many of the tailors in town. There are not that many in the harbor, but I suspect it won't take long to find them?", replied Stille scandalously close to his ear.

Jose's hairs on his neck stood on end, as he felt his hot blooded North Darokin impulses demand that he exact a kiss from her. "I assume you have a spell to locate them?", he asked calmly despite his passions.

"Not quite. I suspect that either Greenpaw catches their scent, Raoul catches our scent, or most likely we just follow the signs of battle . I suspect the third option, since Matinez and Raoul aren't exactly known for their restraint.", she laughed merrily.

Jose's desire spiked at her mirth. Even though he heard her laugh before, mostly at Martinez's antics rather than with him, it never had the effect it was having now. Sir Jose however was a disciplined knight and forced himself again into a calm state. "Aye, Martinez is a good hunter, but restraint isn't one of his virtues."

The pair fell silent as they reached the harbor. As expected Greenpaw caught the trail of either Raoul or Martinez and was swiftly tracking them down. Though the half giant and duelist took pains to hide or mask their smell, Greenpaw was quite familiar with their scents . Eventually they reached a bricked tailor shop , opposite an odd looking pool of blood that seemed to be flowing from an unremarkable wall.

"I think we found our friend's handiwork. ", declared Sir Jose. Battle was at hand, he was able to push aside his other emotions in preparation for it. The knight easily hopped off his large War Husky and offered his hand to the Baroness to aid her dismount.

Stille took his hand and smiled directly at Jose . Despite his resolution to ignore his emotions for her , the knight felt his knees go momentarily weak. "I like a man who can show restraint. ", she said, commenting on his earlier remark, with an alluring impish smile.

* * *

The pygmy hairless mammoth spirit showed no restraint as it bellowed as it charged the trio. A drug dazed slave was trampled underfoot even as the demon hunters scrambled to evade it. Martinez flipped to the side, while Raoul seemed to blink out of existence. The Ivory Lady seemed eager to test her might , and she grew to over twelve fell tall to challenge it.

The creature slammed into her, even as she attempted to grab its tusks. The self admitted frost giant seemed to hold it for a second, but the still larger spirit would not be denied . It gored her in the stomach with one tusk and threw her to the side of the room .

Several more slaves were struck by the hurtling giant, but they seemed more battered than crushed.

"Are you ok Ivory Lady? ", asked Raoul as he blinked back into existence next to her. The Ivory Lady clutched her side, and nodded. The blow would have skewered anyone else, but her ornate blue gold armor had held. Blood still trickled from her side, but Raoul knew it could have been much worse.

"Call me Ivy please. ", she grunted as the half giant helped her back to her feet. Even though he was only a mere seven feet tall, the half giant's frame was powerfully built, and he easily hefted the twelve foot tall frost giant back to her feet.

At the other side of the room, Martinez was busy evading and dodging his foe. Occasionally his daggers would flash towards it but curiously they bounced off the pygmy hairless mammoth's spirits hide.

"It has a stone skin spell or something akin to that up. ", commented the duelist as he dodged a two handed strike from the monster. The duelist cartwheeled over some cushions and landed next to a pretty youthful looking elven slave with distinct pale skin and red hair. The duelist smiled graciously at her, but suddenly it shifted into a fox headed spirit and pounced on him with teeth and claws. The duelist grabbed one of her paws, and twisted it painfully behind her back, as he danced and weaved away from her bite. The creature howled in fury , but Martinez swiftly released it as its much bigger cousin swept a fist at him. The duelist broke contact quickly and tumbled to the opposite side of the room where the arch was initially destroyed.

"There might be more Rakshasa hidden amongst the slaves.", Martinez shouted to the two giants as he continued his evasive dance.

"This incense makes it hard to sniff them out. ", shouted Raoul in return. Instead of readying his force staff the half giant instead opted for his blessed spear. It looked small and out of place in his hands, but it should suffice in this battle. He doubt he would be able to set up Martinez so he could sneak attack their foes, so he might as well make each strike count.

"I'll handle the slaves, till I recover a bit. ", coughed Ivy. She then turned her attention to a cluster of them , and surrounded them with a circular wall of ice. She repeated this process a few times, till the slaves were all secure.

Raoul attempted to charge the larger spirit, but the revealed fox woman intercepted him. She drew two curved machetes and spun them menacingly , as if to challenge him. The half giant saw his boss was in trouble and attempted to push past her to aid him. She easily evaded his rush, and slipped to his side, slashing him once for the effort. Raoul knew that he wouldn't be able to slip by her so easily so he turned his attention towards her with a sweep with his spear. The half giant had some skill with the spear, but he handled the weapon more like a pointed staff. The fox creature easily blocked it with one of her curved knives and attempted another slash at the half giant with her free weapon. Raoul leaned back just in time and the pair broke off their exchange, if only temporarily.

The larger spirit swung again at the duelist, but he missed by mere inches as the man scuttled away. The duelist lashed out with his dagger once again, but the creature's twice enchanted skin easily deflected it. Martinez saw that his allies were currently of no use to him in this battle. The hairless mammoth man was too great for him to fight directly, and too fast for him to escape from. Although he was successful in dodging its attacks, Martinez knew it was only a matter of time before he was caught and hammered.

"Use an adamant tipped bolt. ", grunted Raoul as he circled the fox snarling fox woman.

"I would if I had time to reload one, ….", grunted Martinez as once again he was forced to dodge . " It's on me like ugly on orcs, stink on goblins, and stupid on giants. ", chuckled the duelist .

Just as the battle seemed to swing towards the Rakshasa's , a barrier of ice formed around Raoul's lithe opponent. The silhouette of the fox woman growled again and it appeared she was going to dispel it but she was intercepted by the large shadow of a tall woman. Raoul tipped his head in thanks, before turning his attention back to his boss's foe.

The hairless mammoth spirit attempted to charge Martinez , like it had tried earlier, but this time Raoul intercepted it. He did not try to meet it head on like Ivy, but instead slammed it mid charge into its side. The room shook from the impact, and the large spirit veered slightly to the side, allowing the duelist time to slip away , while the creature crashed clumsily into the wall.

"That frost giant is quite remarkable…we don't meet too many giant women on our travels, you two should hook up. ", joked Martinez, as the two demon hunters regrouped .

"Chronological she's around my age, but physiologically she's like 16 or 17 in human years. We giants frown upon those kind of pairings. That's the type of stuff that gets you exiled from the tribe. ", snorted Raoul bluntly.

"What? Something wrong with dating younger women? I do it all the time, it hasn't hurt my reputation . For the record, I love teenage girls! I keep getting older, they stay the same age. ", declared Martinez in genuine surprise as he got into position.

Raoul simply snorted again to prove his point, as he moved in for the kill.

"We need to take down his stone skin, before we take this creature out. ", noted the duelist in a more serious tone.

Raoul grunted at his suggestion and pointed to his barren neck. Martinez shook his head, but the half giant pointed again . With a sigh, Martinez grabbed his own necklace and palmed it into his hand.

At that moment the hairless mammoth had extradited itself out of the wall. Raoul then jabbed it with his spear with all his might. It was a powerful blow that seemed to penetrate even the creature's enchantment. The large Rakshasa spirit returned the attack with a goring blow with its tusk. Raoul's psychic inner strength was already pushed to its limits, and he could not stop it from piercing its shoulder. The creature pushed the half giant to the ground, when suddenly its color turned from straight stone grey, to a more natural greyish black. Martinez stood atop the creature, balancing on its back while pressing something onto its skin. After the creature's protection seem to have faded, the duelist dived and rolled towards its rear flank.

That was the signal that Raoul expected, and the half giant grabbed hold of the creature's monstrous tusks. The spirit had the advantage in leverage and strength over the relatively small half giant, and prepared to gore him again, but its lapse in concentration and the slight restriction of its movements was all the duelist needed. Martinez landed two blows to its neck with his daggers, swiftly slid them out to once again stab the creature's right ear, and slashed the other along its back. He released the dagger embedded in its ear, to force with two hands his remaining dagger between the vertebrae of its spine. For good measure, the duelist nimbly ran up the dieing creature again, and flicked out his hidden arbalest. Though they weren't adamant bolts they were blessed and he assumed the creature's protection was gone. He fired both bolts point blank into the monster's head before he flipped backwards away from it . The large black creature trumpeted in pain before it wobbled and collapsed to the ground. Raoul easily rolled away and looked pleased at the result, but Martinez sighed as he noted his newly replace Stone of Almarth necklace had once again shrank from its usage.

With the main threat vanquished the demon hunters turned their attention to the Ivory Lady. Before the pair could assist their new ally, Raoul held out his hand and pointed up the stairs they had entered from. Martinez's hearing was good for a human, but was nowhere near as good as his half giant retainer's. The duelist struggled to hear anything, then he noted the sounds of footsteps from above.

"Ivy? Are you ok? ", shouted Martinez as he and his companion braced for another wave of attackers. Despite the fatigue of the long battle, the pair were game for more violence.

"I'm fine . The fox headed Rakshasa escaped though. ", responded a muffled voice behind the ice wall.

Martinez pointed at Raoul and indicated where he wanted him to position himself. Raoul promptly went to one side of the stairs while Maritnez waited before it. Raoul knew it would better if their positions would be reversed, but he also knew Martinez had a flair for the dramatic.

"I've vanquished your hairless mammoth, and scattered the rest of your spirits. Come face me! " , declared Martinez defiantly.

"It's called an elephant! ", responded the muffled voice from behind the ice wall.

* * *

Rajah Mogombo slammed the militia man into the wall. The blow broke his back as he gurgled and die before the Rakshasa lord. Mogombo took great pleasure at the fear , pain, and suffering of those dying and dead from his wrath. He had suffered enough indignities in this city . The attack on his home was the last straw. If he was to be denied, then he would exact revenge on these human cattle before he made his escape.

If he failed today, he wasn't sure where he would be able to get another virgin heart from the Royal Line of Nashput, but he put those thoughts aside as he reveled in violence and bloodshed.

A patrol of militia had attempted to stop his rampage, but Mogombo simply released a bolt of lightning into their midst. Whomever wasn't killed outright, the Rakshasa lord was taking great pleasure in torturing them to death.

"Hail Mogombo!", shouted a subordinate as he attempted to distract his lord who seemed gripped In madness. Unlike his transformed lord, he was still in his silken robes pretending to be a human.

"You dare interrupt my entertainment!", roared the Rakshasa lord. "You better speak, and pray to our dark gods that your message is worth it."

The subordinate Rakshasa gulped . "The Ivory Lady was spotted assaulting our lair. ", he said meekly.

Mogombo stopped his carnage and smiled. "The Ivory Lady is here and in my lair ? Great gods, maybe something good can come of this. My old foe is talented, but doesn't realize my whole court is here. Even she can not withstand our combined might. Send everyone, including our thralls and make sure she doesn't live !", the Rakshasa lord declared with a bit of mirth back in his speech.

Mogombo knew it was folly to act so openly, but at this point he didn't care. His best course of action was to escape this cesspool of a city , and hope his minions destroy one of his most hated enemies. Most of his court would either perish form the Ivory Lady , or more likely the city guard , but that was acceptable to the Rakshasa lord. If he was to be denied his ability to transform into a greater state, than his soldiers should be denied the right to live. If they somehow survived, they would be absolved of their failure, but if they died ….well incompetence has a price. Regardless of the outcome, the only thing worthwhile in his lair, the black scroll, could be summoned if he so desired.

The subordinate knew the nature of his lord's plan but bowed and proceeded to gather the troops. Better to die by humans, then death by his lord, he most likely thought. Mogombo's wrath was legendary and was to be avoided . The last time he vented in such a state, was when he failed in Barkwark ten years ago. He burned down the manor and a good chunk of the town in his rage that night.

Suddenly Mogombo stopped. The fire in Barkwark so many years ago, and the smell of his young prey that night. The mists clouding his memory were suddenly dispelled as he recognized the strange scent that had been troubling him for most of the night. He sniffed the air again, and confirmed his suspicions. The hunt wasn't over, it had just begun! He vowed they would not escape again. Though most of his troops had already been committed to hunting the Ivory Lady, he still had his magic if more soldiers were needed. The Rakshasa lord's own personal power was formidable enough and he roared into the night as a challenge to his foes.


	10. Chapter 10

Despite the bruise to his head, Jimmez thought it was a pretty good night. Not only was he going to get rewarded for returning Lally to his, most likely rich and worried parents, but he had something of an adventure as well. He not only defeated a gang of bullies once, but he bested them twice, and he even survived an encounter with some type of mechanical construct. A creature he was sure would grow in size with every retelling of the story he thought with a smile. All in all it was a pretty fun filled night, he decided to himself.

"So Jimmy, I can guess you're not from around here. ", asked Sammy timidly as they neared the noble district of Grom City.

"Correct. I'm from Veb originally, but I do a lot of traveling. I pretty much go wherever I'm needed.", boasted the young demon hunter.

"Are your parents, mercenaries …or are they caravan guards like my father?", Sammy asked with a raised eyebrow and genuine interest.

"My father died in the war with the gnomes, and my mother…from grief soon after. ", sighed Jimmez sadly. " My current guardians are kind a like Adventurers. Demon hunter's to be exact. ", he quickly blurted to show no sign of weakness. Though he regarded Sammy more as a friend now, he knew that he couldn't appear sappy to his peers. Pecking order was very important to boys his age.

"Demon hunting? HAH! ", teased Sammy with his familiar know it all grin. Though the taller boy was obviously making fun of him, Jimmez could sense some affection in his tone.

"It's true. There are demons everywhere in Grom. They show up when you least expect them. My Master Martinez is an expert at finding and ridding them. I'm currently learning how to spot them, the cool stuff involving fighting comes later I guess. ", stated Jimmez. As to accent his point, he drew his dagger and stabbed in the air playfully, much to Lally's delight.

Sammy however seemed a bit dubious of this claim. "You're serious about this aren't you? Well, how hard can spotting a demon be? I mean they are red, with horns and wield pitchforks right? Sounds pretty easy to spot. ", said the taller boy whimsically.

"You are referring to an iconic devil, but to be more specific, we use the term demon as an umbrella term for all evil outsiders. From the Tanarii demons of the abyss, to the death dealing yugoloths of Tarterus , the infernal batezuu of the hells, and all the whacky creatures inbetween. Everything in the shadows of the underworld, like the destructive Asura or the hungry Yeth hounds. As for your second question, unless they want to be seen, they typically disguise themselves or even hide when in public. Most use magic, but mundane methods work as well. Even the common tiefling, takes great pains in hiding its attributes in public. ", replied Jimmez smug in that knowledge that few people could challenge his lore of the lower planes.

Sammy blinked in surprise at the smaller boy. "You're serious about this aren't you? You really are one of those demon hunters? "Declared Sammy excitedly.

Jimmez felt a foot taller as the larger boy seemed to fawn over him. "Yes sir. My Masters and I recently defeated a particularly brutish creature that made its lair aboard one of the navy's mothballed ships. I admit, I wasn't a part of any of the heavy fighting, but I did help in locating it, and I did get a shot in with my crossbow. ", boasted the young demon hunter proudly.

Sammy beamed an excited smile "You have a crossbow? I always wanted one! "

"Well, its not mine per say , it belongs to my Master Martinez. However, I do get to use it on occasion. ", clarified Jimmez. He could tell by the excited look in Sammy's eyes that his access to a crossbow, trumped any armor that the young guard had.

"Umm…if you're going to be in town the next few days….ummm….maybe you can teach me how to use one. I always wanted to learn, but my sire always puts its off. ", the tall boy asked sheepishly. "I can make lunch for the both of us, I can even make my special lemon tarts, everyone says their great …that is, if its OK with you?"

Jimmez thought the whole statement was a bit odd. He could understand the taller boy wanting to hang out with him now that he knew he was a fearsome demon hunter, but enticement by means of a lunch or picnic seemed an odd approach. The fact that Sammy would admit he made tarts, threw him off, even if they were his favorite dessert. Jimmez thought that if he was a guard, making tarts would be the last thing he would let anyone know. All the coolness of wearing armor and getting your own weapons would be canceled by the fact he could do women's work and make delicate pastries. He thought about declining the strange offer, but the expectant look of Sammy's face and the fact that Jimmez practically salivated at the thought of the tarts , made it hard to refuse.

"Errr Ok. Do you have tomorrow off? I'm betting my paltry allowance that my masters ,Martinez and Raoul, will be drunk after the Admiral's Gala. Their associate , Sir Jose , is always either partial drunk or in the process of drinking his agave worm juice to get to that state, so he won't be a problem. And I think the Baroness is still meditating at her shrine, so I should be available. ", stated Jimmez awkwardly.

"Excellent!", cheered Sammy. Jimmez wasn't sure why, but he saw that the taller boy was now uncomfortably close to him. He expected a bit more personal space, but he found himself almost shoulder to chest to the taller boy. The young demon hunter considered pushing him away, but despite his distress at his companion, he found he couldn't bring himself to do so. He wasn't sure why, but it felt strangely exhilarating to him.

"Oh look. That man with the big cloak and the crouch, is he a demon?",asked Sammy playfully as he hid almost comically behind Jimmez .

Jimmez shook his head and found it a relief that they were talking instead of worrying about how close they were walking together. "No, that's just an old guy with a bad back. ", he commented after quickly observing the man's gait, his smell, and appearance.

"How about that woman? Is she a demon? ", asked Sammy as he pointed to a woman in an alley. She was a plump woman with black hair, wearing dark blue revealing clothing. Jimmez shook his head and scoffed. It appeared that his companion was not as worldly as himself, and did not recognize a street whore when he saw one, something that he learned quite quickly to recognize from traveling with his masters , despite Lady Stille's sheltering. The young demon hunter did note that Sammy was partially correct though, the woman had a light brimstone and perfume scent about her, similar to the Baroness's but much cruder. As he visually inspected her further he saw that she had light patches of coarse fur on her upper arms as well as a few tiny bone spurs near her neck.

"Don't point….", admonished Jimmez. "That's a tiefling, and they take offense if you single them out like that. "

The woman in the alley caught a bit of their conversation and didn't seem pleased . " Scram you brat. Leave me alone , and take your little skank girlfriend with you!", hissed the tiefling whore.

Jimmez fumed at the insult. How dare she call him Sammy's girlfriend. Especially after all he did tonight, to have his masculinity questioned by a common street whore , caused him to see red. He was about to turn around and yell at her, when Sammy unexpectedly giggled and held his hand. Even more disconcerting was that he was leaning his chain coifed head, in a somewhat off balanced manner on Jimmez's shoulder and head.

"The tiefling says we're boyfriend and girlfriend. ", cooed the taller boy. "So Jimmy….do you have a girl friend?", Sammy asked with wide eyes.

Jimmez was confused to say the least. He was about to push Sammy back and demand to know what his problem was, when suddenly Chit, the long furry creature in Lally's arms, began hissing uncontrollably. This startled the trio , and Jimmez scanned for the cause of the creature's agitation.

The small group froze as a man in dark silks walked imperiously towards them. Jimmez didn't need his training or his senses to tell him what was before them. Subtle waves of evil emanated from the creature as it made its way towards them. Sammy drew his club and barred its path, but the creature snagged him by the neck with lightning speed. The taller boy struggled futilely as the creature lifted him up in the air.

Jimmez was about to go for his dagger, when suddenly iron chains wrapped around both him and Lally. The young demon hunter felt his lungs being crushed as he saw Lally go limp. Screams and shouts from the other pedestrians rang through the streets as flying deadly spinning chains appeared to seek out random targets. A man's head was ensnared before the chain tossed him against the wall, while another woman was battered relentlessly to the ground from another chain. The carnage around them seemed to fuel the thing holding Sammy's bloodlust.

The creature garbed in dark silks seemed pleased then barked something in an unknown tongue.

"I …I can't understand you…you're speaking too ….fast. ", gurgled Sammy as he kicked futilely in the monster's grip.

The dark robe figure shook his head then with his other hand he revealed his face. Jimmez was stunned, it was some sort of Cat man, from its appearance he guessed it was some sort of striped , orange , toothless tiger of some sort.

"I am molded after the fierce jungle tiger, you mendicant! Tigers are supposed to be striped and orange, the creature you are thinking of is a saber tooth tiger. A creature practically unknown except for in this backward country which thinks it's the center of the world. It's bad enough I have to deal with your verbal stupidity, but your inane thoughts are enough for me to lose my noble composure. The next time you refer to me as a striped orange toothless tiger, I will gnaw a portion of your face off! Perhaps an ear since you apparently did not listen to my warning ! Do you understand?", shouted the creature angrily.

Jimmez nodded helplessly.

"AND your name is Jimmy or perhaps young Jim, not Jimmez…. The over confident person you refer to as a master, has ingrained in you his giant ego it seems. Lose it, for your thoughts hurt my serene harmonious thoughts. ", threatened the …..tiger man.

Jim..my gulped nervously and nodded again. The creature was a mind reader of some sort, and from the looks of its guardian it was well versed in magic. Though his vision was blurred from pain, Jimmy guessed his captor was a Kyton, a chain devil of some sort. Unless it was called by some higher magic, then the dark silked…tiger man must have been a mage or the 9th circle, or perhaps a sorcerer of similar power.

The tiger man began to turn his attention back to Sammy, but then paused and returned to Jimmy. "Remarkable, even though you are an uncouth barbarian you are well versed in arcane lore young one. Your knowledge amuses me so I will keep you around till I grow tire of you.", he stated before turning back to Sammy. "As for you , I find it laughable you can barely understand your own tongue, but I shall use the language of the barbarians to facilitate communication with you. I do not know how you escaped the blaze at Barkwark, but you will not escape a second time. After the events of tonight I hardly expected one, let alone two noble hearts at my disposal. Perhaps when I devour both of them , I will be twice as powerful? I am not certain, but I will make no mistakes .", the creature threatened as chaos reigned around them. A pair of militia men had entered the street woefully unaware of the danger before them. A pair of levitating chains swiftly dispatched them as they were grappled, constricted, and crushed to the ground.

Jimmy attempted to squirm out of the chains holding him, but the enchanted links slipped to his neck and choked him. He gasped for air as he saw the tiger headed creature grabbed both Lally and Sammy by the necks. The last thing he saw was the two boys dangled helplessly and seemingly paralyzed by some kind of magic, before he himself passed out painfully.

* * *

Besides the obvious illusionary wall, Lady Stille felt something was amiss. She turned to Sir Jose and saw the knight had detected something was off as well. Before either of them could react, the massive War Husky Greenpaw jumped at a patch of shadows. It's prey seemed slippery and quick , but the war dog was quicker. The shadow shrouded creature attempted to jab the dog with a long dagger, but instead it was quickly grabbed by Greenpaw and was shaken vigorously.

"Mercy..mercy! I beg of you. ", it said in common, with a strong Vedic accent.

"Hold boy. ", declared Sir Jose as he inspected what his mount had caught. Although it had attempted to hide his features with a cowl , the massive dog quickly tore through its disguise. The creature appeared to be a tall thin man, with several sparse patches of dark scale, and a single incongruous horn on its head. Stille quickly deduced the man was a tiefling of some sort. Despite his abyssal appearance he was dressed in a white and blue tabard with runic symbols on them.

"Who are you and why are you spying on us?", demanded Jose as he pressed his blade to the fiend blooded man's neck.

"I was merely under orders from my liege. I was to harass and detain any Rakshasa that escape her wrath while she raided the enemy lair. ", the man explained nervously.

Stille examined the long dagger, and saw what appeared to be a blow gun fallen nearby. Even without touching the blade or darts, she could feel the searing holy nature of the weapons, a reminder of her own dark heritage. "I think he's telling the truth Jose. He wouldn't be able to use these weapons if he was in league with the spirits, and I detect no charm on him. Let him go. ", she sighed.

Jose nodded at Stille, then gave a warning glance to the tiefling before releasing him. "We are seeking our comrades, they said they entered the Rakshasa lair here. Did you see them?", the paladin demanded again.

The tiefling nodded, "Yes…a peacock of a man and a half giant, correct? Since their purpose was aligned with my mistress's , they allied with my liege and they proceeded into the lair together. "

Stille pointed at his tabard, specifically at the runes on them. "Those symbols are not Vedic, they are Jotun. It says your liege is the , forgive my crude translation, the Ivory Lady? I heard a little of her, she's a long ways from Vinnraj isn't she? "

The tiefling looked nervously and sighed. "Yes…She has come as a point of honor . The spirits that you seek, once killed a protectorate and a good friend of my mistress. When she heard of an attempt on Prince Lalit's life, she saw an opportunity to take vengeance on her foes. We are not under the employment of Sardar Milan, but our purposes are similar. I was chosen to accompany her, because, of all her servants, I am the most fluent in the language you refer to as the common tongue. "

Jose considered his words then relaxed a little. "Okay, sorry if I roughed you up a bit, but the streets are dangerous tonight."

The horned man shook his head and bowed. "Your apologies are not needed sir. I understand that those you refer to as tieflings are not outlawed in this land, but they are still shunned. Tieflings in Vinnraj are most often imprisoned, humiliated then executed, so your reaction is tame when compared to how I would be treated by Vinnraj standards. I fully understand your confrontational manner when faced with my lowly kind."

Stille shook her head sadly , while Jose slumped his shoulders. "Look , it was a misunderstanding OK. Your being a tiefling has nothing to do with my reaction. Umm I know a lot of ...err tieflings. ", the paladin noted while glancing at the baroness.

"As you say my lord. I accept your apology. ", responded the tiefling with little conviction, " Getting back to the situation at hand, I am called Akash or Aki if you like. I observed several numerous bands of Rakshasas and their human thralls have returned to their lair recently. I assume that my liege and your companions are the cause of this. There are much more of these creatures then we realize. There were too many for me to confront, but I suspect that our mutual allies will be hard pressed to fight this new wave of attackers. If you wish to aid your companions, I suggest we pool our resources and strike them from the rear."

As Jose and Stille nodded, suddenly a yelp from further down the block broke their conversation. The tiefling smiled and walked to the sound, while waving his new allies towards him. "Ahh I see one of my traps is successful. When I scouted the area, I prepared several traps to block their exits. ",he explained.

The trio ran to the sound of the noise, and were surprised to see a barbed net , with what appeared to be a distraught red fox entrapped, its fur tangled in Aki's trap. The hooks on the nets had already buried itself deeply, but bloodlessly into the creature's hide as it struggled futilely to escape.

Sir Jose moved immediately to slay the creature. Stille noticed he had an iron rapier instead of his broadsword out. Though he can channel his god's will into his weapon to bypass the Rakshasa's ensorcelled hide, that ability only lasted a few minutes a best. She guessed the knight was wisely using a more mundane weapon, that could pierce a Rakshasa's skin and saving his ability for his sword later it seems.

"Hold my lord ! Do not slay the damnable beast yet, let us question it first. ", suggested Aki in a subservient tone.

Sir Jose studied the creature and seemed puzzled, he then looked at Stille and shrugged. The priestess nodded slightly to show her agreement on the tiefling's plan.

"Stay still foul beast! Though the enchanted net strips your magic, we will not delay in extinguishing your life if you dare use your sorcery on us! ", warned Aki. From her vantage point, Stille guessed the tiefling was partially correct. The net appeared to be designed to make magic casting more difficult and would most likely spoil the spells of a novice caster, but an experienced or patient mage could still weave magic within it. "Tell us about the situation inside your foul lair , and if there is another lair you are retreating to! "

The fox creature looked both wounded and frightened especially with Sir Jose and Aki standing menacingly above it. It began to speak but could only stammer its words as the creature was seized with panic. Even though the creature was a denizen of the outer planes, Stille knew it was not a true outsider like a devil or a demon, but something more akin to herself. The priestess could tell it was young for her race , but guessed it was still a very dangerous creature.

"Speak beast! Or taste my dagger! ", threatened Aki which caused the creature to babble incoherently in a new round of hysterics. Jose simply stood there in a stoic manner, though he wasn't tall as Raoul he appeared every bit as frightening to the creature.

Stille stepped forward and gently pushed back the paladin. The paladin seemed reluctant to stand down and his stern gaze met with Stille's. The two were briefly locked in an unspoken contest of wills, but a smirk and a wink from the priestess was enough for him to relax his stance. Inside Stille found herself almost giggling like a school girl as she realized she could sway the handsome paladin so easily, but she concentrated at the task at hand.

"Girl…if you cooperate with us, I swear that we will show you leniency." stated Stille, in a commanding voice.

The creature looked at her and started to snarl, but quickly broke into sobs as it realized its predicament. Stille noted they sounded alien coming from the bestial creature. " You wish me to betray my people, then slay me afterwards when my usefulness is over. Just get it over with. ", it sobbed in a clear voice, with a very slight Vedic accent.

Stille sighed and knew it was most likely correct. Though she disdained the practice of killing prisoners, Rakshasa's to her knowledge were dangerous creatures not to be trusted. She knew that killing it was probably best for all involved, but there was something about the creature's manner that seemed innocent and unspoiled by their dark nature.

"You will answer us or your death with be most painful! ", threatened Aki. The tiefling brandished his long dagger dangerously close to the creature. "Why are we wasting time on this beast? It most likely knows nothing of value anyways. Let us just slay it and help my mistress and your friends. ", spat Aki. Stille wasn't sure if he was bluffing or was just stating the obvious.

The priestess expected some sort of bloodshed to occur, and was surprised when Sir Jose spoke up. "As a knight, I will guarantee your safety as long as you are my prisoner. Swear an oath to me under the power of my god Nirrodin, and your safety shall be assured by my honor, until your crimes are properly judged. That is the best I can offer.", he stated grimly and unexpectedly.

Aki and Stille both looked at the paladin in disbelief. He wasn't going to actually trust this creature was he? Even if the creature swore an oath under Nirrodin's watchful eye, that was still an unusual offer by Sir Jose.

The fox creature shivered then nodded. Jose placed his hands on the frightened creature's head , and before it could protest he channeled his divine energy into its skull. A silvery sword on shield symbol was branded onto the creature's hide, but it did not appear to be in pain or distress from the ordeal. As Jose's divine magic faded, the creature transformed before them into a young lightly dressed frightened teenage girl.

Without waiting to be questioned, the transformed creature began speaking all it knew. "Your..your … friends have battled to the bottom of Mogombo's lair. My lord was not in the lair at the time and they easily penetrated our lax defenses . I ..I…fled in the heat battle, since I was no match for their might. I have some spells , but it is impossible to leave the lair by normal magic. I fled using secret tunnels that I am able to navigate through with my small animal form. We believe the lair's magic barring properties are because it was built on the ruins of some ancient wizard's sanctuary. I..I…. heard the alarms and shouts, and I believe the rest of Mogombo's court are arriving to do battle with the intruders even as we speak. " , it said nervously.

Aki shook his head. "Mogombo is a powerful Rajah , or lord of the Rakshasa's. It seems we have miscalculated their strength. Even my mistress will be hard pressed to battle his entire court. "

Stille considered both their words, but Sir Jose was the first to speak. "Where were you running to , and why are you not assisting your reinforcements?"

"I ..I was fleeing to the Rajah's barge. I suspect that even if my people slew the attackers, our lair will be discovered and more hunters will be after us. We are far from our homeland , and we fight only to further our leader's…questionable… goals . He wants to devour the heart of the Royal house of Nashput, and gain dark powers from the sacrifice. I..I want no more part of this, and am only here because it is the Rajah's command. The ..the.. rest will follow me to the barge soon … I..I don't care if they brand me a coward. I want no part in any of their rituals that involve eating the hearts of children….I have no stomach for this. ", it answered dejectedly in the net. Stille shuddered at the thought of these creature's eating hearts. She could see that the pitiable creature wasn't just answering their questions, but it seemed to be confessing its guilt. Even though Jose had offered it safety while it was his prisoner, it seemed ready to accept its fate.

"So pass judgement, and let's kill it? ", stated Aki as it seemed to have guessed Jose's promise of safety was a manipulation of words, after all , it did admit its allegiance to the heart eating Stille suddenly realized it as well, and was abhorred that the paladin would trick it so easily.

An uncomfortable silence fell on the illusionary alley. The tiefling, the priestess and even the trapped Rakshasa awaited Sir Jose's judgement.

"She has answered my questions, and I will honor my word. She will not be harmed till proper judgement can be passed. ", was all the knight had to say about the matter. Stille did not expect such a response from the knight . A few days ago she would have expected him to kill it and move on to massacring everything he found in the Rakshasa's lair, but Jose's brave and borderline dangerous decision gave her even more respect from the surprising warrior.

Aki shrugged and motioned to the entrance's lair. "Shall we assist our allies then? Perhaps , you wish to extend more of your endless mercy and capture more of them? ",he said in a sarcastic but still subservient tone.

Stille almost laughed at the response, but Jose shook his head. "No, I suspect that the creature is right. If an alarm has been raised that is summoning Rakshasas back to their lair, I suspect the smarter ones, and most likely this Mogombo creature are headed to the barge we were told about. Lady Stille and myself were originally seeking to aid a boy that was in pursuit by the Rakshasas. The more I hear about their true motives, the more I suspect that they after this Prince Lalit. They will most likely attempt to devour the heart of this boy. I don't know if the boy has been slain or not, but I do wish to see this Mogombo creature brought to justice and made to pay for his crimes. We will go to this barge and either confront this Mogombo there, or sink or disable the vessel so they cannot escape. ", the paladin declared. Stille almost swooned at his commanding presence, she had never seen this side of him before, and she found she liked it, like it a lot. She wondered if Jose kept it hidden when Martinez was around, since two alpha males were not a good thing to introduce into a small group. If that was the case, she made a note to herself to encourage Jose to step out of Martinez's shadow.

Despite the priestess's silent approval of Jose's course of action, Aki stared in disbelief. "Wait…my master and your allies are being surrounded and attacked by a literally an entire nest of Rakshasa's and their thralls, and you want to abandon them and pursue their leader? Are you Grommer's that blinded by hubris that you will leave your friends in danger?" , the tiefling asked in shock with not a hint of subservience in his speech.

Jose laughed, "First off , I doubt their leader is there. Secondly, we are talking about Martinez. Not only can he easily handle this pack of rabble, but he prefers to do it in a way that guarantees him the most fame and glory. Also the detachment of Royal guard that have been woefully attempting to follow us in secret will be more then enough for the Rakshasa to handle. ", he stated as he easily grabbed the netted Rakshasa and threw her on the back of Greenpaw. He then mounted the large green dog and helped the Baroness up as well. After his passengers were secured he waved to a group of men that were attempting to discretely lounge around a few blocks away. When Jose was sure he caught their attention he pointed to the hidden alley.

Aki shook his head at this development. "I will stay and lend whatever aid I can to my mistress. I wish you the best of luck , in your heroic endeavor. ", the tiefling responded as he readied his blow gun and entered the lair. "I curse the day we stepped foot into this country of Fools." , he added under his breath.

* * *

"Fools! You intruders, will rue the due the day you step into my lair! ", threatened Martinez as he dispatched a human thrall with a clean blow through the neck with a flourish from his dagger.

"Technically, its their lair and we're the intruders. ", noted Raoul as he tossed a few of the dead bodies towards the base of the stairs. The corpses were formed into a loose pile , and it seemed to be made for the intention of slowing the enemy down rather than actually holding them off as a barrier. "…rue the day…. Have you been attempting to expand your vocabulary or something?"

Martinez shrugged as he peered cautiously up the stairs. "Yes, I've been trying to impress the Baroness with my ….. how shall we say…. scholarly acumen. Then it will be BAM ! Pregnant!", boasted the duelist with a swagger.

The Ivory Lady did not seem impressed by Martinez. "That was just a wave of expendable fodder to test our strengths and weaknesses. The Rakshasa are known to carelessly throw the lives of their thralls away, just to open up an opportunity for them to strike. They have a well-earned reputation as cold heartless beings, that seldom grow attach to the slaves they surround themselves with. I suggest you concentrate on the battle ahead , instead of chattering incessantly about your love interest. I'm sure your bubble headed lady friend will be more impressed by perhaps a tattoo with her name slightly misspelled on your chest. ", she scolded icily.

Raoul chuckled slightly from the comment but Martinez just smiled at the reprimand from the giant. Even though he guessed she was several times older than himself, she only appeared to be a teenage girl, and there was no way Martinez would have his personal affairs questioned by her. Added to that fact this little girl was disparaging the pureness of the fair Lady Stille. He thought he could responded to her by commenting about her relative age, perhaps her bloated reputation , or maybe the fact the duelist had killed more of these spirits then she had, but who's really counting. Instead of such a low brow route, Martinez simply smiled and gave a slightly flowery bow to the Ivory Lady. "When we triumph over this motley band arrayed against us, I wish to change your opinion of my so called …bubble headed lady friend…and invite you to perhaps a dinner so you can experience her refined courtly charms yourself. "

The Ivory Lady seemed readied for a volley of insults directed back at her and was disarmed by the duelist's charming response. " I suppose I owe her that opportunity. " , she finally stammered.

Raoul edged towards the stairs and held up a hand. "Enough chatter….I can hear their breath. They approach. " , he warned. He then turned to Martinez. "I would have went for a shot at her age. Young girls hate that. ", he snickered audibly enough that the Ivory lady heard as well.

Before another round of barbs was exchanged, a battle cry sounded from the top of the stairs. A thin barbaric man wielding a battle axe, dressed in ratty furs lead the charge, followed by what appeared to be three burly militia men with clubs and shields. Behind the lot was a man with backward swept legs, with the head of what appeared to be a deer with two long curved horns. The animal headed humanoid began the assault by summoning a pair of large dire wolves behind the trio. The beasts gave an unearthly howl and their eyes glared with a fiendish fire before they pinned the group from behind against their new attackers.

"Get that antelope man first! ", shouted Raoul as he swung his force staff at the barbaric looking man in front. Martinez half expected the man to perform some sort of feral leap to evade the weapon, or perhaps catch it with his savage strength, but he simply had his head caved in from the half giant's attack.

Martinez nodded as he stepped forward, stabbed with his dagger, then stepped back and twisted away from several clubs of the enemy militia men. The duelist was impressed at the skill and speed of the guards, and wondered if they were really guards or perhaps magically enhanced. "I can't get the antelope , their guards are tougher than they look. ", responded the duelist with no shame at his inability to pierce their defenses.

As Martinez And Raoul dealt with the attackers ahead of them, the Ivory Lady was knocked to the ground by the fierce horse sized wolves . Her weapon was thrown to the side as she slammed into the ground. One seized the opportunity and bit down on her her leg while the other attempted to bite her face. The small frost giant giant wrapped her strong hands around the throat on the one wolf near her head and barely stopped its attack. As she struggled with that opponent, the one at her leg had managed to shear through her strong blue and gold armor and drew blood. Instead of crying out in pain, the small frost giant simply held the wolf at her throat at bay , while she kicked the leg biting wolf on the snout with her free leg. The creature she kicked yelped and released its prize, giving her the chance to draw both her legs to her torso. The kicked wolf quickly recovered though and pounced again at the Ivory Lady, but instead of sinking its teeth again into her shapely muscular leg, the small giant kicked it again with both legs as her back braced against the floor. The wolf's face was smashed and the impact threw it back across the bottom of the vault, sending it crashing into the now emptied pillowed beds. With a simple twist she redirected the wolf at her throat and sent it tumbling to the side next to its cohort. Then she summoned her bladed staff back to her side, scrambled to her feet, and readied for the next assault.

"You guys….. don't know what an elephant or a tiger is,…. but you can identify an antelope? " , she asked as she attempted to catch her breath.

Raoul made a quick motion, and Martinez jumped into the air. It was a move that the pair practiced in their long association with each other. The half giant then channeled his remaining inner strength into his foot and stomped it into the ground. The power of the half giant's energy flowed into the ground and shook the entire chamber , knocking the three unprepared miltia men and the anteloped headed Rakshasa to the ground. The wolves and the Ivory lady were shaken , but they managed to maintain their foothold, Martinez on the other hand, landed nimbly among the scattered guards and bolted towards his stunned prey. He grabbed one of the creature's horns and yanked its head back with the leverage it provided, thus revealing its throat which he quickly stabbed and ripped with his blessed dagger.

The monster seemed shocked at how quickly he was dispatched , it attempted to feebly conjure a spell but Martinez , jabbed it again through the eye and ended its life.

"There are only pronghorn antelope's in Grom, but there are several varieties hailing from our true homeland of North Darokin. I don't recognize that particular type but its species was quite evident. ", noted Martinez calmly, before he suddenly dodged a volley of crossbow bolts. "Next wave is here guys, there's quite a few of them ."

Raoul stomped on one of the fallen guardsmen's chest and a sickening cracking was heard throughout the room. He then strode to the Ivory Lady's side and swept his staff in a warning manner towards the snarling wounded wolves.

"Antelope is tasty, but the meat is dry. Lady Stille cooks it nicely when she wraps bacon around it. ", the half giant noted tangently as he clubbed an incoming wolf. The staff struck it against its flank , but it leaped to the side to mitigate the force. The half giant then interposed himself between the two beasts and the wounded giant, giving the Ivory Lady more time to recover.

"You two are remarkably calm. I guess you two do this type of thing quite often. ", grinned the Ivory Lady as she imbibed a vial. The bleeding on her wounds stopped but it still appeared terribly mangled. She seemed revived , even though the elixir mended and healed her leg slightly, and seemed prepared again for battle. "The culinary masters of Vinnraj use several unique blends of spices to transform antelope meat from bland to savory. It really is quite an art. ", she said as she prepared her bladed staff for the wolves next charge.

Martinez ran down the stairs . He almost slipped once from the cracked loose floor, but he quickly recovered his balance. As he raced, he jabbed the two remaining guards once into their sides. One guard fell from the blow, while the other clutched his side in pain and attempted to swing back at the fleeing duelist. Martinez calmly danced away from the retaliatory blow and slipped into the shadows of the room.

"Perhaps you can cook a dish for the Lady Stille when we meet, she would surely enjoy such exotic fare. ",echoed the duelist somewhere in the darkness. " That last stomp really shook up this old building. I detect weak points in the floor , walls, and support columns. Maybe hold off on that ability less you want the roof to fall on our heads. Leave it to wizards to build crappy buildings. ", he added, his voice sounding from nowhere and everywhere.

Raoul looked absently to the roof and confirmed Martinez's observation. " Well noted, I only have the strength to do it once more anyways. All this talk is making me hungry. ", he then tapped the Ivory Lady shoulder, and pointed towards the mob descending down the stairs . The last wounded guard attempted to hobble out of the way but was trampled by the next wave of Rakshasas and their thralls.

The Ivory Lady saw this group of attackers and erected a wall of ice to block them. Though her magic was strong, cracks and fissures were quickly appearing on the barrier. As her attention was diverted, the wolves seized the opportunity and pounced at the two giants. Raoul attempted to block them , but it was unnecessary, since they fell to the ground, well short of their prey, twitching and bleeding from two daggers in their backs.

Martinez swiftly retrieved his weapons and twirled one in a bored manner with his fingers. "All this talk might be moot anyways. There's a lot more Rakshasas in this town then we suspected. I'm guessing this incense they smoke or something similar masks their scent, similar to how we use demon ichor on occasion. "

Raoul glanced at his comrades wounds. "A correct assessment. I'm running out of inner strength, our healing potions are almost exhausted, and we're slowly losing this battle of attrition. We're also in enemy territory, cornered like rats and with no means of escape. ", reasoned the half giant calmly. " A real pity though…I would have like to tried Ivy's spice blend antelope. ", he added with genuine sadness.

The Ivory Lady shook her head and laughed even as her barrier was being torn apart. "Besides the Walrus man, I have never known anyone that was worried more about food when faced with imminent death. "


	11. Chapter 11

Jimmez…Jimmy woke up to a warm soft sensation to his face. His eyes grew wide as he saw a small furry creature was sitting nose to nose to him lapping his face with its tongue. The young demon hunter quickly shook off the cobwebs and reached for his blade. He immediately found his actions were restricted since he was in a tight space. When he finally reached his dagger sheath, he was dismayed to find it empty. The creature licked Jimmy's face again , and the boy recalled it was Sammy's pet. Chitter or Chit for short. He reluctantly petted the affectionate creature then took stock of his surroundings.

He was in a small barred cage, and judging by the way it was swinging, it was suspended in a room. Jimmy saw that Lally and Sammy were also in similar cages suspended from the roof. The cages were similar to over sized bird cages, except there wasn't enough room to stand let alone sit in them. He saw that Sammy was awake but Lally was still sleeping or unconscious from the ordeal. Judging by how Lally's cage was slightly swinging as well, Jimmy assumed they were in a boat cabin of some sort.

"Your awake. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing. ", whispered Sammy from the other cage. It was dark but Jimmy could see his new found friend was disarmed, just like himself. "Chit chewed your bonds free but I can't seem to open these cages. I was hoping to escape from that monster, but it looks like we're stuck. It might have been better off if you weren't awake. ", sighed the taller boy. Jimmy saw that although he was uncomfortable , his much taller ally was absolutely squished inside his cage. Long legs were dangling outside the cage while his face was almost pressed against the bars. If their situation weren't so desperate he would have looked ridiculous in his position.

"It's fine. I rather meet death on my own terms than sleeping blissfully unaware. ", declared Jimmy mimicking his master Martinez. After he made the statement he realized how dumb it was, and wished he didn't say such a thing.

Sammy giggled, "Oh Jimmy. Your heroic act is adorable. I would have liked to gotten to know you better, but …..", sighed the young guard , leaving the exact natures of their fates unsaid.

Jimmy fumed at being called adorable, but somehow it sounded right coming from Sammy. Although Master Martinez always was quick with words, he was also quick with deeds as well. He knew that there must be a way out of this mess. " How did Chit get here, he was hissing at that creature pretty loudly . I would have thought the spirit would have killed him.", asked Jimmy as he attempted to get a grasp on the situation.

Sammy shrugged the best he can . "I don't know. I assumed he ran when the Rakshasa captured us. I'm guessing he followed us . I just know I woke up with him licking my face then chewed my bonds. He then hopped to your cage and did the same thing. Sadly he can't open the locks holding us. " Chit seemed to respond to his name, and made a chittering noise. Then he jumped through the air and landed on Lally's cage. He paused for a moment smelling the air, before snaking into the cage and begin chewing the small boy's bonds.

"You called it a Rakshasa. I've never heard of such a creature. ", noted Jimmy as he stared at the lock sealing his cage. It was a simple mechanism, that required a key. One that Jimmy didn't have.

"I barely recalled hearing about the things from my childhood. Sort of like bogey men or something was what I can remember about them. I use to have nightmares of these tiger creatures chasing me through a fire. I almost forgot about them till …well till today. ", explained Sammy.

"I see….hey Sammy do you have any loose metal links or wires . I'm not good at lock picking, but I did learn a little. I probably can't open this , but I have nothing to lose by trying right now. ", asked Jimmy still staring at the lock.

Sammy nodded then took off his coif. He retrieved something from his long flowing black hair , and threw them at Jimmy. Jimmy deftly caught what appeared to be hair pins, and was a bit shocked that Sammy grew his hair to such a length. "These will do. ", explained Jimmy ignoring his allies appearance, and he began to work on the lock.

Lock picking was not an easy task, it required patience as well as a still hand. While Jimmy was often praised for his agility, his patience was often lacking. The young demon hunter failed the first few times but then he stopped and calmed his mind. It wasn't just his life on the line, but Sammy and Lally's too. He felt responsible for this whole thing and wasn't about to let his two new friends suffer for it. He wondered if it would have been better if he stayed out of trouble like Jose warned. Stick to his books, and get a good nights sleep. If he just stayed at the inn, Lally would have been beaten up, but it was probably a lot better then being eaten by these Rakshasa creatures . It would have made things a lot simpler and safer, but then he wouldn't have gotten to catch a glimpse of the Menagerie, or meet Sammy. He wasn't sure why, but he felt a bond between him and the taller boy. He liked the boy and had no desire to see harm come to him. He never had much real friends, but he realized that Sammy was one. They fought side by side, and even took turns rescuing each other from that construct. It seemed so unfair that their time together would end so abruptly.

*CLICK*

Jimmy was shocked. He had opened the lock. Sammy saw this as well , and barely contained his excitement. Jimmy placed a finger to his lips and silently escaped his cage. He then proceeded to unlock the other cages, though he had to stand on his toes, but he surprised himself by swiftly opening them in succession.

"We're not out of this thing yet. We still have to escape. ", warned Jimmy as Sammy helped the still unconscious Lally out of his cage. Despite Chit's efforts the boy could not be revived. Jimmy was at first worried, but he saw Lally was at least breathing.

Jimmy then began to lead them to the door of the room and to his surprise Chit began to hiss softly at it. Jimmy was curious and examined it closely , and saw there were almost invisible wards placed on it. Not just any wards, but very complex ones that would be difficult to dispel without triggering. Even if he the proper tools , it would not be an easy task. As his hand moved close, the wards began to glow brighter. Jimmy of course swiftly withdrew his hand less he trigger an alarm.

"What is it? " , whispered Sammy . The tall boy with the long dark haired, was piggy backing Lally. For a second, with their faces so close together, Jimmy thought the two olive skin boys looked like siblings, but quickly dismissed the notion. He then repeated his action with his hand to demonstrate the ward on the door. Sammy attempted to do the same thing, but found the ward did not trigger. Jimmy tried his luck again , and found the same result.

Jimmy puzzled over the predicament, and waved Sammy around. The taller boy responded and turned, letting Jimmy move Lally's hand to the door, but once again the runes did not trigger. Jimmy was extremely puzzled by the whole affair , but then he saw that both his allies had very faint wards inscribed on their own skin. They would be impossible to see with normal eye sight, but Jimmy was trained well by his masters, and saw that they were abjuration runes of some sort. Runes of protection.

This of course puzzled Jimmy even more. They were placed in similar positions on both their arms, and faces. Jimmy assumed that there were more inscribed on their bodies but did not have time to confirm it. Sammy of course seemed to take some odd delight in Jimmy examining his skin so closely. Jimmy felt uncomfortable at his approving gaze, but ignored it for now. He had more important things to consider.

"I don't know how, but you are both warded against detection spells. Not a simple ward cast by a gold a day hedge mage, but something that rivals anything that Baroness Stille ever showed me. I guess that explains how you two got into the Menagerie without any alarms going off. ", explained Jimmy.

"Hmm…I don't see anything, but if that's true, how come Chit didn't trigger anything ?", asked the taller boy who was still smiling at all the attention he was getting.

"Most wards don't cover small animals. Else every time a rat finds its way in , it triggers an alarm. I guess Chit there just made the cut off point in size. ",shrugged Jimmy. He then pointed to the door and made a motion to urge Sammy to attempt to open it. The duo waited apprehensively but the door swung open , revealing that they were indeed on a barge , apparently moored in Grom City's harbor.

"So now what ? If what you say is true, then we can escape but you can't. ", asked Sammy in a worried voice.

Jimmy shook his head, "Look, I heard a bit of his speech before that chain choked me out. It wants you and Lally. You two run , get help . Get the guard and militia if you have to. If you have time you can also find my Masters Martinez and Raoul at the Drunken Squirrel Inn, or better yet find Lady Stille at the Shrine of Koryis. Even that oaf Sir Jose would be welcomed if you can get him sober. If I see guards come near you , I'll trigger the alarm and draw their attention. "

Sammy shook his head in protest, but Jimmy grabbed his shoulder and gazed intently at him. Jimmy stared into his eyes, and made his indomitable will known to the taller boy. Sammy relented and leaned into Jimmy. Then gave him a soft unexpected kiss on his lips.

" ..PFFTTT", spat Jimmy in surprise, shock , horror, and disgust " What was that for! Are you out of your mind! ", declared Jimmy as he rubbed his lips multiple times to get the strangely soft sensation off his mouth. The young demon hunter's commotion stirred Lally awake, but the younger boy seemed more confused than panic at the situation.

Sammy said something to reassure Lally then laughed lightly at Jimmy. "This might be the end of both of us, I just wanted to have kissed a boy if things end badly . I've never kissed a boy before. You are very brave.", he explained , while tossing his long black hair about and flashing a bright smile. Chit leaped on his shoulder and made a peaceful rumbling sound.

Jimmy spat and wiped his face again. "Kiss a boy? No thanks! I have never kissed a boy either, you don't see me complaining…", grumbled the young demon hunter as he waved the taller boy to proceed with the escape. He wasn't sure what to make of it all, he knew he should be feeling fear for his life, but instead he just felt strangely uncomfortable.

* * *

Lady Stille was uncomfortable to say the least. She had her arms wrapped tightly around Sir Jose once again, but this time it was more due to the strange prisoner they were transporting. The creature was still secured in the barbed net, with an extra rope wrapped around it , and sat miserably behind Lady Stille on Greenpaw's massive saddle.

Despite her caution, Stille did feel a bit proud of Jose. He would have expected him to agree with Aki and skewer the creature after it had given out their information. Stille admitted that's what she would have reluctantly done , and was surprised that Jose took it upon himself to honor his pledge of protection. It was a noble thing to do , but perhaps a bit reckless , given that the Rakshasas and their thralls were still about. She could well imagine a scenario that they could possibly free the creature, and it would use its shapeshifting ability to blend and fade away into the busy crowds. Then it would start a new cycle of terror somewhere else. The priestess thought it was a harsh and very real possibility that seemed to overshadow the paladin's mercy.

"Ow…your nails are digging into my armor. ", complained Jose jokingly as they made their way to the harbor. " It's hard enough to find my way around in these maze like streets without the soft distraction of a lovely passenger. ", he smiled. The knight's assessment of the terrain was accurate, the labyrinth of streets had sent them scurrying to dead ends and odd circles, delaying their progress considerably. Even after asking for directions a few times, they made slow progress to their destination.

Stille was thrown in a slight panic when she suddenly realized that she had extended her claws inadvertently from the fear she felt with the Rakshasa tied behind her. Despite all her talk about accepting her heritage , she still felt deeply ashamed when her demonic traits were exposed. Although her current companions knew about her heritage, only Martinez knew the full extent of her …mutations. Oddly, the loud mouth and showboating duelist , was not repulsed when he saw the full nature of her fiendish traits, and even more surprising was that he kept it a secret. She did not think Jose actually saw her claws, and just made a flirting comment about her nails, but it was still something she did not dare risk. She retracted the nails then released her grip on his waist suddenly and almost fell off due to her rash action.

Jose of course was a master of his mount, even though it was just a big dog, and managed to slow Greenpaw down and catch her. He sensed something was wrong and brought the dog to a stop. "Cuidado de mi senora! " Jose declared as he slipped into his seldom used North Darokin dialect. Despite the near disaster that almost befell her , Stille broke into a smile when she heard his rich voice in the foreign tongue. She knew that in normal circumstances he attempted to speak in a rough courtly manner in the common language, but in times of stress or surprise his native speak inadvertently takes over.

"I'm ok. I'm just nervous about your prisoner. That's all. ", was the excuse Stille used. It wasn't 100% accurate , but she thought it better than admitting she didn't want to see her fiendish claws.

Jose considered her statement and laughed. "Oh the scary evil spirit is scaring you? ",he jested. Then to the priestess's horror he drew his blessed iron rapier and jabbed it into the fox girl. Stile along with the captive fox girl, who had remained silent and sullen the whole time, both screamed in surprise.

"How..how could you! ", declared Stille in shock.

"Hahha..haha…Sorry about that. You should have seen the look on your face. ", he laughed. To calm Stille down he showed the priestess her rapier then pointed to where he stabbed the beast.

Stille was still mortified by his actions, but saw that the weapon wasn't bloodied or covered in demon ichor, nor was there a wound on the girl, other than a light depression where Jose had jabbed her. The girl was still breathing heavy but otherwise appeared unharmed.

"Wait….what just happened there? Is your weapon useless against our foe? ", asked the priestess struggling to comprehend what just happened.

Jose chuckled lightly. " Don't worry its not silver. This blessed rapier is not my favored weapon, but I can assure you it will pierce the hide of any Rakshasa. However, despite her obvious resemblance to the enemy we hunt, this fox girl is not a Rakshasa, she's more of a lycanthrope like the one's up north, or some version of them. Therefore we can't easily pierce its hide. ", he declared proudly.

Stille knew that the northern order dealt extensively with were creatures. The most common varieties being wolf, bear, boar and tiger. She knew other types existed but didn't actually think they would be confronted with a fox sort . The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Rakshasa's employed thralls of all sorts. Their mind bending magic could let each control a small force if they desire. Their enchanted hide deflected most weapons easily, but was fairly useless when their foes are aware of its limitations. What better way to foil their foes attacks, then having creatures which look similar to them, but possessed a different and unique set of defenses. It probably explained why this creature was able to escape the mayhem that Martinez and his allies were causing in the main Rakshasa lair.

"Very observant Sir Jose. ", the priestess complimented knowingly.

Jose grinned at the praise. "As a knight of the Northern Order, we deal with these creatures all the time. They aren't inherently evil, they are the same as humans. There are good and bad ones. We even let them join the orders if they are worthy. Also I noticed there was no tint of evil when I used my paladin's sight on her. Even the other tiefling had no hint. The Rakshasa's have a strong aura about them similar to yo….", he began but stopped. Stille knew he was about to say similar to yours, but she forgave him this time. She was more curious about this creature than any accidental slights directed at her.

"Lastly, I saw those barbs didn't actually dig into her hide. It's a standard blessed net, and it should have made a bloody mess of her fur, but it didn't. Luckily for her, it wasn't made of soft blessed silver, but the stronger blessed cold iron instead. Just like my rapier. ", concluded the knight.

"I assume it is charmed against her will then. We should release it. ", considered Stille even as the young girl glared at her nervously.

"I wouldn't go that far. She was probably under the effects of a charm enchantment for a long time, if not most of her life. You heard her talk back there, she seems to think she's a part of their tribe or something. In my experience prisoners that are kept a long time, grow attached to their masters. We call it Narwhal hold syndrome, for the ancient Narwhal barbarian raiders that would capture wives from along the coast in the dark ages. I placed a mark of justice on her head to ensure she wouldn't get into any trouble even if she escaped us, but I'm not sure if its entirely needed. She seemed a bit willful and rebellious, and twists her master's orders about like a seasoned paladin is taught when charmed. ", explained the paladin.

"Why didn't you tell this to Aki or myself ?", probed Stille with a smile. She didn't care much for his rapier theatrics earlier, but she was impressed by his astute identification of this creature.

"Oh , I was gonna tell you soon. However, believe it or not, in most societies lycanthropes are even more despised then evil spirits. They are a plague in some areas, and spread their affliction like wild fire if not controlled. Only few states, like the Northern Orders and the mage kingdoms of Glantri are they not hunted down mercilessly. Even Grom city had its share of lycanthrope disasters, the last being Prince Everic the Beast's rebellion back in the 800s. I don't know how Aki's people treat these creatures, but I wasn't about to take the chance of him stabbing her with a silver blade in the net. ", admitted the knight.

Stille was impressed . She turned to his prisoner and saw fear and confusion in its eyes. Even though she heard what they said, it didn't seem to realize the magnitude of what she was , what was done to her, and the danger she was in. Jose was right, she would be killed by the towns folk if they discovered her identity. She was in a foreign city, in a foreign land, she would not be able to hide or blend into the urban surroundings like a common wererat or live off the countryside like a werewolf. Despite her reservations about its safety and their own, she felt pity at the small creature , bound in the net before her.

"What is your name?", Stille asked softly.

The fox creature hesitated but responded, "Kitahari."

Jose gave a doubtful glance to Stille, sensing what was about to come next, but the priestess ignored him. "Ok Kita or Keeta, I am Lady Stille of the Church of Koryis, and that is Sir Jose of the Knights of the Husky. I will release you. The knight is still bound to protect you, but only if you remain our prisoner. I can not guarantee your safety if you escape us. Do you understand? I suspect you know as well as I do, this city is more than it seems. Magical traps , guardians, and terrible forces lie below its bustling urban facade. I have no desire to see you fall prey to them. Do you understand this?", stated the priestess in a calm but serious manner. The priestess thought it amusing that though she had described the city, she also described herself in an odd sort of a way. By all accounts she was a simple, attractive noblewoman , normal in every way except her odd light blue hair, but beneath was something much more terrible.

The girl nodded and Stille easily cut the rope then unraveled the net on her. She cut her self a few times on the barbs before Jose assisted her, and noted that knight was correct in that the barbs did not harm their prisoner but could definitely hurt her. When released she transformed into a thin girl , with pale skin and reddish brown hair. Stille thought she had a hint of beauty about her that would blossom with age, but for now she looked more akin to a common street waif. Though she wasn't naked, her garments were torn quite thoroughly by the barbs. Stille rectified it by offering her the cloak off her back.

"Kit, we need you to direct us to the barge on the harbor and tell us about its defenses. I know you are probably compelled to not betray your master, but I also suspect you like to twist his words in your mind, similar to how you rationalize escaping the lair instead of fighting off the intruders. Just think of a scenario where you are offering us as a test to your master's battle prowess. I suspect he likes praise and loves challenges. If we are defeated you can claim you cleverly lead us to our demise . Can you do this for me?", asked the priestess as she gave the girl a playful wink.

Kit smiled then nodded.

The trio then remounted Greenpaw, and made their way to the harbor under the directions of the girl. The maze of streets that had confounded Jose before was easily bypassed under her directions.

* * *

Rajah Mogombo scowled . Why were his minions so incompetent, why could they not follow his directions? It took the Rajah's own personal intervention to capture Prince Lalit, and surprisingly enough, the supposedly dead Princess Sampada as well. Though he failed earlier that night, it was no fault of his, and obviously the blame rested on his servants.

The Rajah was ready to sacrifice the Prince right then and there, but he did not want any mistakes to ruin his ritual. Even though he had another Royal heart available, he was not about to waste his good fortune by being hasty in his preparations. After all , was he not wise, strong, clever, and patient? These attributes and many others were what made him a ruler of his people, and not some jittery subservient lap dog, he thought to himself.

He had sent word to his main lair to retrieve his effects, especially his writ of dark rituals, the Black Scroll. An alien thing, that was supposedly taken from the pages of the dreaded tome the Froginomicon. A document written in blood on the stretched hide of a bullywug , detailing forbidden rites and various dark pacts. A mere mortal would have had his mind shattered by even glancing at such a blasphemous writ, but the Rajah had studied the scroll well and had discovered the ceremonies needed for his ascension in it. He could have performed the heart eating ceremony on his barge, but thought it prudent to have the scroll near him to ensure no mistakes were made. All he had to do was wait for the arrival of his scroll. There were a few invaders in his lair, but he would have thought that his minions would have handled them by now. It was inexcusable to force him to wait like a common humble merchant. There were limits to his endless patience after all.

As the Rajah fumed and thought of the various punishments to eke out on his servants, his sharp vision noticed what appeared to be a tall girl and a boy fleeing from the dock. They were hiding from shadow to shadow and would be imperceptible if it were not for his superior vision. The Rajah was confused. There was no way it could have been the Prince and Princess he just captured. They were placed in master locked cages, and their room was sealed with alarm wards. Not only that, but they were bound by ropes made from vines that only grew in Gehenna. Only a blessed weapon or holy creature could sever them.

Mogombo wasn't sure what he saw, but he decided to be prudent about it. He waved forward his Kyton servant. The creature was his favored assassin, a massive beast of a man, wrapped in chains , called appropriately a chain devil by most mortals. The creature was one of his most powerful servants and had never failed him. Despite its power and effectiveness, it was also quite obvious and the Rajah was loathed to use him the open, else its presence alerted his foes to his location. He wouldn't have even used him tonight, except he was frustrated at his lack of success earlier and suspected he would be leaving this accursed city anyways. Seeing as how there was a small chance that his prey was fleeing he decided to release his favorite hound on them.

The Kyton creature moved swiftly despite its bulk and bowed before the Rajah. Mogombo was amused that its face resembled his own, as that was one of the traits of the monster. Its visage often shifted inadvertently to resemble to the viewer that which they loved the most. The Rajah thought the power to turn a creature to stone like a medusa, or to make the mind numb like certain hags , were more effective powers, but he did concede it was an amusing skill that unnerved the Kyton's foes.

The Rajah was about to order his servant to hunt the mysterious pair down , when suddenly a loud chattering of magical mouths sounded from behind him. Mogombo knew it was triggered to the Prince and Princess's holding room, and turned to see a small boy run out of it and into the lower hold. At first he was about to send the Kyton and any other servants he had to the hold, but it all seemed too convenient, especially given the timing and the two figures fleeing the dock. He try to scan the thoughts of the ones that fled into the hold, but could only pick up the mind of the little sage, the other two he could not read due to the wards that the Vinnraj mystics had placed on them. The two on the docks were too far off for him to read, and he could not confirm their identity. Despite the uncertainties it seemed akin to a simple hunter's trick to distract him and he would not be fooled so easily. He instead ordered the Kyton to proceed in capturing the pair, while he handled whatever was in the hold himself.

No paltry diversion will deny him from his fate.

* * *

Sammy fled from shadow to shadow , attempting to flee the docks and alert someone, anyone about Jimmy's fate. The young girl was scared, but knew she had to keep calm to rescue her friend. She had fought brigands a few times, repulsed a few goblin attacks, and even helped bring down a feral bear once. She thought at the time those battles were terrifying but it was nothing compared to what she was facing now. Those previous skirmishes she had faced calmly, partially from her father's training, partially because of Caravan Master Kirgi's seasoned leadership, but mostly because she had a sense that they would be victorious in the end. She did not feel that now. She knew Lally and herself were free from the Rakshasa's clutches, but she was concerned about poor Jimmy.

She only knew him briefly, but she was impressed by the short youth's tenacity, bravery, and she had to admit, his rough good looks. She was never that interested in boys till she met Jimmy, and was surprised how quickly she warmed up to him. Years of hard living as a caravan guard under her father's protective wing, gave her scant opportunity to experiment with boys, but everything seem to have fallen in place tonight while she was in Jimmy's company. Unlike the other boys in the caravan, the self-professed young demon hunter was unlike anyone she had ever met before. He also didn't seem to mind her, and treated her with a degree of respect that the other boys hadn't.

She even gave him her first kiss, which curiously warmed her heart.

All that was about to change though, if she could not get help in time . The Rakshasa were literally spirits from her distant past that seem to have come to life and pursue her. When she was young, she dreamt about them constantly , but her father always convinced her they were just bad nightmares and Chit always snuggled up to her so she could sleep again. Now when faced with the evil spirits directly, she knew instinctively that the tiger creature wanted her , but poor Jimmy sacrificed himself so that she could evade them.

She wasn't sure how, but she would find the militia, or the Royal Guard, or even Jimmy's mentors if they would not aid her. If she couldn't find anyone to help, she would get her dad and the caravan guards to come. She wasn't sure how, but she would make up some bizarre story to enlist their aid. She wasn't normally a liar or a teller of tall tales, but for Jimmy's sake she would fabricate an account that would send them to the harbor.

"Will….small…boy…be ok?", asked Lally in the Vedic tongue. Sammy could understand the boy , but just barely. Her Vedic had gone rusty from a decade of non-use, and she regretted no practicing it.

"Small boy …wil be ..good. ", she replied in a whisper, still fearful they would be discovered.

Her fears suddenly came to a stark realization, when a monstrous man, wrapped in chains bounded before them in a heavy landing. The ground shook from the man's bulk as he turned to face the young guard. The creature was almost seven foot tall, with pale skin. It wore no foot coverings, and appeared to have clawed feet. It had rippling muscles that could be seen past the multiple lengths of chains that adorned his body. Some of the chains were tightly secured , others hanged loosely from his frame. What was most unnerving though, was that the creature possessed what appeared to be Jimmy's face. The creature looked ridiculous with the face of a small boy atop the massive body similar to that of a fetish prone ogre. Sammy knew immediately it was some sort of illusion , but couldn't help but break into a cold sweat when seeing it.

Sammy and Lally both ran at that point. Sammy thought it would be best to split up, but could not convey the message to the smaller boy in time. Lally followed her as they attempted to flee the demon's wrath.

The creature stared at the fleeing pair and waved a finger dismissively in the air. One of the chains on its body seemed to animate and twisted in the air magically, corresponding with its fingers movements. After a certain velocity was reached the chain spun at them with lightning speed. Sammy glanced back and saw the chain spinning towards them. She recalled how the chain and ensnared Jimmy earlier and feared that they would soon be dragged back to the ship of horrors, bound and helpless in chains.

Before the chain struck though, a green blur flashed through the night sky and intercepted the chain. A second later, a massive green furry dog had the chain in its jaws and shook and threw it aside . A massive knight, adorned in battle hardened armor, wearing the famous tabard of the Order of the Husky was mounted defiantly on the dog.

"No picking on the ninos, cadena diablo ! ", he declared before his bladed exploded into holy fire and he rushed the demon.

Sammy was stunned to say the least. She wasn't sure what to do next when suddenly a strong hand grasped her shoulders and dragged her and Lally to a side alley.

* * *

Stille grabbed the two fleeing children and dragged them to safety. Even though she only caught a glimpse of him earlier, she recognized the small olive skinned boy as the one that fled the palanquin earlier that night, the other girl was taller and perhaps a year or two older, dressed in a manner of a caravan guard , and curiously had the same skin as the boy and Sardar Milan. She gazed at her frightened visage closely and noted that she might have been a relative of the two, as she noted distinct facial similarities between the three.

The girl seemed in shock at first, but quickly recovered when she saw the open palm symbol of Koryis hanging on her neck. A sign of safety and succor.

"Help! Help….my friend Jimmy has been captured by the Rakshasa. ", blurted the girl .

Stille stopped. "Wait…what? Jimmy? ", she responded unsure of what she had just heard. Though the odds that she was referring to her Jimmy was small, their was a deep dread that somehow the young boy was involved in this. Though Jimmy was not her son, she felt intimately responsible for his well being. Perhaps it was pity that he had lost his father and subsequently his mother, when he had joined her own son's retinue to battle the gnomes. Maybe because she was impressed by Jimmy's always optimistic attitude even in the face of despair, or maybe she saw something great or special about him. Regardless of the reason she would not see the boy harmed , and hoped that the Jimmy the girl was referring to was someone else.

"My friend is still on the boat, he freed us and told us to get help. We're suppose to find the guards and some type of demon hunters or something. ", continued the girl breathlessly.

Stille's heart dropped. The worst possible scenario had happened. She was half hoping that the barge would be empty, but it was full of the Rakshasa and they apparently had Jimmy hostage.

"Kit! Take these two away , far away from here. ", the priestess said while waving towards the shadows. A young pale girl in a cloak appeared and nodded in a frightened manner to the baroness. " Do not side with your former master. Do not attempt to betray me . Do not do anything that will tempt my wrath. ", Stille warned the were fox. To accentuate her point, fire flashed in her eyes, her fangs and claws were momentarily extended and her demonic tail lashed menacingly before them. The were fox, young boy , and young girl were paralyzed in fright, and Stille knew she had over done it. She considered apologizing, but knew that she had no time for that.

Wordlessly she retracted her fiendish traits, before running to Jose's aid. She hoped that the knight's trust in the fox girl was well placed.

* * *

Raoul jabbed his staff in a well placed blow through the breaking ice wall. The force weapon impacted with a crunch against one of the numerous attackers attempting to break down the barrier. Despite his success the half giant knew it would be futile.

"Hmm…I guess there's another 50 more after that guy. That's about 40 more than we can handle, I guess, "noted Raoul as he dodged a spear from the other side of the wall.

"Ah …that's too bad. I was hoping to make it out of this one, and impress the Baroness. ", frowned Martinez with a shrug as he picked through the random treasures strewn about the room. He saw a particularly interesting scroll tube and decided to keep it for safe keeping. Perhaps a gift to the baroness, since she liked to read so much. "Make sure you save your last psychic stomp to bring down the roof on these guys ok?"

Ivy shook her head as she jabbed her spear . "I can't believe you two are so accepting of your imminent deaths. You seem more worried about your lady friend , than you are of being chopping to death by the Rakshasas and their minions. "

Raoul stepped back from the fray. "Well, demon hunters such as ourselves are pretty mentally unbalanced to begin with. If you think about it, we hunt demons for Rawk's sake. Not a profession that you need to plan on retiring from. There are no old demon hunters, just dead ones or those that quit. Since Martinez and myself are too stupid to quit, we pretty much made our peace with our mortality a while ago, "waxed the half giant.

Martinez chuckled to himself. "Speak for yourself. I was actually planning to hide in the shadows when they break through and sneak out while they are chopping you up," he joked.

Raoul snorted. "Well I was gonna bash you over the head, and parlay your body for my freedom. Since we got rid of a few of their concubines, they might need another pretty boy."

Ivy shook her head as the wall cracked even further. The enemies ability to break down her ice barriers was greater then she could erect them. "Enough chatter. You two gather close and grab tight.", she ordered.

Martinez gave her a curious stare." Oh…normally I like two girls and one dude, but I'll play along this once.", he snickered.

* * *

Sir Jose sized up his opponent. Although he was not as experienced as his comrades when dealing with evil outsiders, the knight recognized the creature for what it was. A kyton, or chain devil. A denizen of the lower hells, a creature that existed to spread misery with its supernatural command over chains. Jose recalled from his master Sir Rollo, that it also took the visage of loved ones to throw its opponents off, but the Knight thought nothing of it. The power seemed to pale over the cursed wounds of bearded devils, or even the acidic slime of bubba demons.

The knight urged Greenpaw forward even as chains flew from his foes body. One lashed the great husky while another attempted to trip it. Despite the attacks, the heroic war dog continued its charge. A couple more chains sprang from the Kyton and they too attempted to lash and wrap the dog. It was too late though, as Greenpaw managed to ram the creature with is massive barding reinforced bulk, before it was wrapped up completely in the steel binds.

The brutish Kyton was thrown to the side and tumbled helplessly from the shock of the blow. It attempted to rise, but Jose had swiftly dismounted and slashed it with his blade. The knight's sword was wrapped in a holy aura , that hurt even Jose's eyes, and it seared and snapped the chains protecting the monster. With a speed defying its bulk, the demon sprang to its feet and readied its next attack. The Kyton lashed out again with a more conventional chain attack, and struck the knight across the face. Jose simply grabbed the chain and wrapped it around his hand, thus locking himself and trapping his prey at the same time. The Kyton accepted the challenge and yanked the knight forwards, relying on its greater size and supernatural strength to over come the paladin.

For a second it appeared that Jose would be over come and pulled off balanced , but the knight did not budge. Besides being a knight of the famous Order of the Husky, Jose was a practitioner of Luca Daros. Freestyle Darokin fighting, an ancient art that relied on oddly enough the honor and bounds of family and friends. The combat style was often ridiculed and declared fake by other warriors, but there was no denying the power it gave Jose. " AIIIE AIIEE LUCA DAROS REPRESENT! ", he shouted in an inane manner.

The Kyton appeared surprised to say the least, at both the meaningless babble and the surge of strength from his opponent. Instead of pulling the knight off balance the demon was pulled forward instead. It released one of the chains binding Greenpaw and sent it spinning to the back of the knight's head. The knight seemed to sense the cowardly attack and nimbly ducked, causing the chain to smash the Kyton directly in the chest.

" Mal funcionamiento en la unión! ", the knight declared as he slashed the demon once more with his holy blade while kicking its leg from beneath him with a smooth practiced sweep.

The feint resulted in the demon landing on its back, and Jose prepared to finish the creature off . He raised his weapon for a deathblow against the monster, hoping to send it back to the whatever damned plane of existence it had crawled out of , with one mighty swing of his blade.

"No Sir Jose. Mercy! ", declared the demon in a soft voice. Jose blinked and saw the Lady Stille's face on the creature. The back of his mind told him it was a trick, but he still couldn't bring himself to strike it down. Despite the time they had adventured together, he barely knew her, but he knew enough that she was hurting inside . She was a tiefling , a person cursed with demonic blood, and every time he looked at her , she would wince from his gaze. Not that he blamed her, on the rare occasion he used his paladin sight and caught her in his vision, she radiated evil greater than the foulest spawn of hell. He knew from her actions that she was pure of heart, but also knew it brought her great shame to be considered alongside just monsters. He wanted to help her, but always considered himself unworthy to console her. Deep inside he desired her, but always questioned his own motives for doing so. Was he just curious to lie with a woman as beautiful as a succubus? Was she simply desirable because she was forbidden fruit? Or was it just a characteristic of some hidden demon talent that could warp the minds of men? He wasn't sure but always held himself in check till he could resolve his own conflict regarding her. The fact they kept their distance from one another grated on the knight. It was a workable arrangement, but it tore at something primal inside him. He was a warrior from North Darokin, a man of great passion and romance. It felt unnatural that he would have to restrain himself from such a woman, but that was what he had done. Until tonight. Everything changed tonight. He wasn't sure why, but he felt more alive than he ever felt when she simply held tightly on to his waist. Even their brief conversations while hunting the Rakshasa seemed to instil a confidence and desire in him that he never felt before. He couldn't strike Stille down, he would find another way, he …..

"Snap out of it JOSE! ", shouted a concerned Stille from behind him.

Jose daze was broken and he saw the creature was lunging towards him from the ground. It was an awkward position to strike, but Jose gave it no opportunity to do so. He slammed his holy blade into the monster's chest and it pierced chain, hide and bone as it seared the corruption that was the demon. The force of his attack was so great, that it penetrated through to the dock and the entire structure shook from the impact.

The demon struggled briefly, and Jose half expected to continue to battle. Even after it fell to the ground, Jose was suspicious of its death. It wasn't until its chains fell off Greenpaw and began to crumble and erode that the paladin was sure that he had slain his foe.

"They have Jimmy. We must hurry. ", said Stille simply as she pointed to the barge. It was one thing to battle to save an innocent, but something completely different when it was one of their own. The knight ignored any boasting and turned his attention to the barge. He saw Greenpaw was still recovering from the beating he took, and decided to race to the boat instead.

Stille and the knight made it to where it was moored , but it was too late. The barge had already departed and was slowly floating away. It was too great a distance to jump, even with his mount. Jose knew that Stille's magical powers were expended a while ago, and they would not be able to float over by arcane methods.

Jose considered finding a row boat and attempting to catch them by more mundane means. He was about to suggest that to the Baroness, when he noticed that she had hastily cut the straps off her breast plate. The black heavy armor plate fell to the wooden docks with a thud, and he wondered if she considered swimming after them. Even if they did , they would be at a sever disadvantage. They would be without armor, and more importantly the enemy would most likely harass them with bow fire as they closed, and weapon strikes to their hands and head as they attempted to climb aboard.

Instead of swimming , four dark leathery rings sprouted from the Baroness's back. Jose was taken back. He stumbled a few steps away and stared in horror and awe at Stille. He knew she had demonic blood, but by her relatively normal appearance, thought it simply manifested itself in the form of her evil aura and blue hair. Wings, especially functional ones, on the other hand were something else altogether. She was a succubus, or perhaps a form of succubus spawn known as an alu demon, or maybe something more sinister known as a half fiend. Whatever she was, he found himself inadvertently recoiling from her.

"I'm sorry. ", she whispered. Tears streaked her face as fangs, claws, and a demonic tail seemed to manifest from her. With that, she took flight towards the barge.


	12. Chapter 12

Jimmy knew he was in danger. The young demon hunter had faced everything from lowly dretches, with their bloated short bodies and splindly arms, to skeletal babau with their acidic covered hides. He even managed to help his masters battle an aquatic demon named a herozu, a monstrous creature that seemed to be part walrus and part toad. Even though he had no magical powers to sense their presence, he had trained his ability to observe, smell, and hear them. His master Martinez also praised him for developing a keen instinct about demons. Those instincts were screaming danger to him. He wasn't sure what a Rakshasa was, but he sensed its dire power.

Jimmy was weaponless and knew there was no way he could fight this creature head on. He hoped to just stay in the darkness, but saw the creature he assumed was the head Rakshasa motion towards Sammy and Lally. Without thinking he darted through the door, triggering the wards that the two had somehow evaded. For a second he thought magical binds would lash onto him and drag him down, or perhaps a spell would be triggered to freeze him in place, but it appeared to be more of an alarm than a trap.

The young demon hunter confirmed he was on a boat when he reached the deck, but knew jumping into the water would defeat the purpose of a distraction. He knew he had already bought his friends some time but it didn't feel like enough. His captors would easily discern he was not Sammy or Lally and would go after them instead. He wasn't exactly sure why they were their target, but his gut instinct told them they were. He spotted a ladder to the deck, and decided to descend into the ship instead. If he was quick they wouldn't be sure if more made it down there and at least split their forces.

Without thinking twice, Jimmy rappelled urchin like down the ladder.

* * *

Stille soared after the barge , all four of her wings beated in unison as she took flight.

Even though her leathery wings had been fully grown for over a century, she had only recently mastered them. For too long , mere shame and fear at who she was prevented her from learning their secrets. Even supported by her parents and her dearly departed husband , Stille could not overcome her self imposed limitations . Flying under her own physical power, without the use of magic, was like admitting defeat , an acceptance of her own of foul demonic heritage, thought the priestess. Only a recent near death experience, a hallucinatory meeting with her uncle Frank, and a surprisingly empathic duelist enabled her to begin to trust herself and her wings. Even then , learning to fly was not easy. She always attempted her flights in seclusion, and even then they often resulted in painful crashes. She was about to give up on her wings in frustration until she realized that she had to release her other hidden shame to fly correctly, her tail. After discovering that her tail allowed her to steer, she was able to refine her power , speed and maneuverability in flight. Often, she would use the school girl excuse of praying at a shrine, just to spread her wings and fly. She was ashamed to admit, but she wished she had learned to use her wings ages ago.

While her inhibition of flying was long gone, Stille was still careful in revealing her wings. Not being ashamed of your heritage was one thing, foolishly revealing her heritage was another. Grom had passed many laws for the betterment of tieflings in the last century, but half fiends were another matter. While tieflings were simply mortals with a tiny trace of fiendish blood in them, half fiends rivaled the power of most outsiders. Stille knew if her traits were out on full display, enemies would use this against both her and her family.

Despite all her reservation about revealing her wings and her nature , she could not let harm come to Jimmy. The trouble seeking boy was almost like family to her, and she would not let harm befall him. She did not know why or how the boy was mixed up with the Rakshasa, she only knew that she had to save him. Questions about his involvement would wait for later, for now she had to save him . If that meant displaying all her powers for any to see, then so be it.

Several archers aboard the barge spotted her in flight and fired several volleys of arrows at her. Stille easily spotted and dodged the projectiles by simply shifting her direction slightly. Although the baroness was taught to be humble , she marveled at how power and easy her flight had become. She not only dodged the arrows but flew high above , spreading her wings at the zenith of her trajectory before diving at the barge at maximum speed. Without even attacking, the mere presence of an attacking four winged demoness drove panic, even in the enchanted minds of the archers. They all scattered at her descent, some even falling into the river by accident.

Stille was short on magic, but she felt a surge of some fiendish power at her disposal. She always felt it on the edge of her psyche but never utilized it . The rush of power , from her flight, and the fear of her opponents allowed her to tap into that forbidden source. She felt unrestrained at the power, and sensed she could cause the archers to wilt to the ground in pain, but instead she chose only to cover them in darkness. The demonic shadow covered the men, causing them to flounder and scatter even more. Stille knew that she passed the first test, but knew many more lied before her.

The priestess felt a sense of power and empowerment as she landed on the roof of the barge and crouched like a hunting cat. A creature that appeared to be some form of stork headed creature with backwards hands emerged from the bowels of the ship. While her claws and teeth were sharp, Stille knew they could not penetrate the creature's hide. She instead released more of her fiendish power onto the creature. The priestess normally only prepared defensive or beneficial spells , with a few minor offensive ones at her disposal, but with young Jimmy's life on the line she destructive energies that she had never wielded before. The stork creature was caught unaware by both her position and the force of the spell. Its body shook and wracked with pain as all of the moisture in its frame was drawn forth . It fell to its knees as its body was wilted horribly from the spell.

Stille watched in horror at what she had done. She had seen such destructive spells before but she had never dared wield them. A part of her knew it was no different than killing with blade or healing warriors to do the dirty work for you, but a larger part was shocked at how easily she could unleashed such deadly power. For a second she thought that all the judgements people had placed on her, and all herself doubts about her mastery of her heritage were thrown in her face and proven correct. She had failed her own test. Before she fully realized her deed, a powerful orange blur crashed into her.

The half fiend, instinctively clawed and bit the creature, but her attacker was too strong . It's speed, and ferocity overwhelmed her . Even though she had a fair amount of training in hand to hand combat the new opponent's strength and speed she faced was overpowering. A claw struck her shoulder and raked bloody rivets over her shoulder and chest. Another raked her face and dug deep and painfully into her face. Something akin to a vice bit her in the neck. If felt like the time she was bit by a succubus and she could feel her lifeblood draining from her.

The priestess reeled from the attack and attempted feebly to fall back. She flailed wildly as she staggered back, and before she knew it she tripped over the edge of the barge. Helplessly she fell over board and crashed into the river.

Stille was a good swimmer, but her wounds were too great. She thrashed feebly in the dark waves. Helpless to aid Jimmy and herself.

* * *

Akash grumbled at the Grommers. Despite leading them through the illusionary wall, they had politely refused his aid in storming the Rakshasa lair. He heard a couple of slurs directed at him under their breaths but he decided it was better than being stoned or beaten like in his native Vinnraj if he was a regular tiefling.

Although Akash was often berated and treated harshly by his mistress, the tiefling knew it could be a lot worse. The fact that he was her servant gave him a form of immunity to the harsher prejudices the people of Nashput often reserved for his people. She was not to be trifled with , and some of that immunity was transferred to him. Sure, he was often called names behind his back and charged higher for services, but it beat being locked in a cage or hanged . In a morbid kind of way Akash enjoyed the names that the humans called him, and he took it as a matter of pride to categorize the various derogatory terms attributed to tieflings from around his travels. A particular term seemed quite popular with the Grommers, and he made a note to find out what it exactly meant later. He heard of the tiefling hero Zax, but wondered what exactly an "Uncle Zax " was.

As Akash pondered this, the entire block began to shake violently. The tiefling thought it similar to the terrible thrashings of the earth dragons in his homeland, and immediately sought safety away from the building. Just as quickly as it began, the tremor stopped. The tiefling grinned in glee as he saw the Grommers that had spurned his aid earlier , scramble out of the lair in panic and fear, covered in a thin lair of debris and dust.

" Aki! Health potion! ", grunted the familiar high voice of his mistress from behind him.

Akash turned and saw the Ivory Lady being supported by the two demon hunters she had entered with earlier. He saw his mistress seemed terribly drained and wounded . Curiously her bladed staff was strapped to her back, while she carried a large oversized black axe, with what appeared to be faces screaming in anguish carved on the axe head.

Akash ignored this curious sight, and swiftly produced a healing potion for his mistress. He bowed subserviently as he presented the elixir. She swiftly grabbed and quaffed it, and strangely offered it to the half giant supporting most of her weight.

The half giant accepted it with a nod. "That was close. I thought you were just being suicidal when you told me to bring the roof down, I didn't think you could get us out. ", he said stoically. " I didn't think travel magic would work down there, especially since the lair was designed to prevent it, and Martinez sprinkled Almarth dust around the perimeter to prevent magical means of escaping ."

The Ivory Lady smiled slyly. " There are some magics that cannot be denied, but I admit it requires a physically and spiritually draining sacrifice. ", she explained hoarsely while patting the demonic axe. Akash was worried for his mistress, he had never seen her so weakened, but his attention was captivated by her odd weapon. He cringed as he stared at the axe closer, and saw that one of the faces etched in the axe seemed to be slowly moving , engaged in a silent scream of terror. He had seen the Ivory Lady wield terrible artifacts in the past, but had never seen this device.

The man called Martinez did not seem amused. "What a waste of time that was. We invaded the lair, killed a bunch of them, and even dropped the roof on their heads when they made that last counter attack. Yet still we didn't see the boss creature. How am I supposed to impress the Lady Stille, if I don't bag the head honcho . ", he said while pretending to parry and thrust with an invisible rapier.

"Lord Mogombo was not present? ", asked a disappointed Akash. If Mogombo escaped, than he could expect his mistress continue the hunt. The tiefling expected to return to Nashput soon, but it seemed that their quest would continue.

The Ivory Lady shook her head, and begun to speak. Before she could reply, the human called Martinez interrupted him.

"Lucky for him he wasn't here. I , the great demon hunter Martinez, would have skewered the beast and skinned him. I would present his hide, as a rug or maybe a fancy cloak of some sort to the Lady Stille to win her attention. Noble women love fancy garments made from monsters ! Bitches love that kinda shit ! ", declared the duelist proudly.

Raoul and the Ivory Lady both rolled their eyes simultaneously at the bragging human. They both spotted each other's response, and stopped. They gazed at each other playfully before both giving a low laugh. Akash raised an eyebrow at the pair. It was the closes thing to flirting that he had ever seen from the Ivory Lady. Despite knowing his Mistress for almost a century, he had never known her to act in such a manner before. Even on the rare occasion she interacted with other giants, the Ivory Lady never showed any humor or affection and her demeanor was always business like.

"I have faced Mogombo before. He is a dangerous opponent. He is a master of magic, and his martial skills rival that of the infamous Prince Stormfeather. We were lucky we did not face him, considering we underestimated their numbers so badly. ", the Ivory Lady stated while still locking eyes with the half giant. She then turned to address Martinez directly, but strangely he was gone.

* * *

Rajah Mogombo shook his head. Someone would pay for this fiasco. It was as if the gods themselves wished to deny his place in their hierarchy. Not that he blamed the jealous deities. If he ascended to demigod status, his magnificence would shame them all. If he was a god, he too would throw whatever obstacle in his path to prevent his ascension.

The Rakshasa lord knew all was not lost . He now knew that there were two heirs with noble hearts awaiting him. They seemed fairly young, and doubt they had lost their purity like Prince Rajeev. Most of his minions were slain, even his chain devil , but that mattered little. He only had a handful of minions left, but they would do. The one's he sent to his lair were an acceptable sacrifice. He guessed that the Grommish Royal Adventurers would be busy dealing with them as he made his escape. Pawns could be gathered, hired, charmed, or summoned.

The Grommers , despite their reputation on the battlefield, had proven unable to stop him . Their so called guards he had scattered like chaff. Even that demonic half fiend woman they sent against him , was no match for his power and ferocity. The creature was strong, but not as strong as the Rakshasa lord. He noticed a holy warrior on the dock , they were always troublesome but he had outsmarted him and sent his barge away out of his reach. He saw several harbor patrol ships scrambling to detain him, but his swift barge was already too far gone for them to stop. A fast longship pulled close to his barge, but the Rakshasa simply destroyed it with a ball of fire, with a simple wave of his hand. He knew he stood unopposed once again. All he had to do was regroup and attempt another strike at procuring a heart. He was close this time, and he knew his destiny will not be denied.

There was still the possibility of an escaped slave on his vessel, but that could be dealt with at his leisure. He suspected it was the boy with the sage like knowledge, but his presence was trivial in the grand scheme of things. Mogombo knew that the only thing left to do was summon the black scroll. The item that had guided him in his quest to obtain immortality. He had left it in his lair, but it mattered not, he could summon it wherever and whenever he wished. The scroll could best be described as a minor artifact, and its true master could bring it forth whenever he wished. It was a draining process and he was loathed to do it normally, but considering all his enemies were defeated or left behind, he considered it a good time to do so.

Mogombo concentrated and drew forth the scroll , it felt heavier than normal, and he wondered if it was due to the fact it was placed in the abandoned wizard sanctum they had taken over. The area was useful due to the wards that were placed on it, but even those wards were no match for the scroll's power.

A black miasma of energy appeared and the Rakshasa was taken aback by what he saw. A human, dressed like a gaudy nobleman, with too much oil in his hair and cream on his face appeared before him. Mogombo wasn't sure why he was here, but he suddenly sensed that this creature had the black scroll. His key to god hood was in this creature's possession.

The Rakshasa lord instinctively lashed at the human, but the man matched his speed by quickly drawing two daggers. He parried Mogombo's claw with his left dagger then slashed in response with his right dagger, slicing a few of the Rakshasa's whiskers off causing him to stumble back.

"How dare you despoil the body of Mogombo! ", roared the Rakshasa.

The man gave him a puzzled look , then smiled. "Wait? Mogombo? The big boss critter?"

The Rakshasa lord snarled at his crude questions.

The man took that as a yes and beamed happily.

* * *

"Ahh, I knew it would come to this. The main head honcho versus me…. the dashing hero. ", nodded Martinez .

"…and you are? ", growled the toothless striped house cat creature that called itself Mogombo.

" … Look ! I can even the see the baroness thrashing in the water! I would have preferred to have her have a more front row seat, but this is adequate. Looks likes she's wounded, but that's Ok. She's a cleric, and ….look there, my countryman Jose is on a row boat to render her aid. I didn't expect him here, let alone be sober at this hour, but then again he does seem to be handling the oars haphazardly, maybe he is drunk. ", commented the duelist as he peered overboard.

The cat creature seemed to be annoyed, it concentrated on Martinez and then shook its head. " Your mind is a jumble….I cannot read it. I've only encountered this before against insane opponents like the mad miniature dero or the suicidal dire corbies, or sometimes against delusional narcissistic individuals who are completely wrapped up in their own vanity. "

"Hah! You've never met a trained demon hunter like myself . I've trained my mind to be unreadable by telepaths. I will have you know that I have a personal psychic who has told me my ego is formidable enough to deflect psionic attacks. ", boasted the duelist.

"That's what I just said you prattling fool ! ", spat the orange striped cat creature. Martinez thought it looked cute, especially since it was missing its oversized front teeth. " I don't know how you got on my vessel or why you are so arrogant, but it ends now ! " The Rakshasa creature hands grew red and a wave of fire blanketed where the duelist was for a few seconds. After the conflagration the creature seemed quite satisfied with the destruction it had wrought.

"Excellent ! ", clapped Martinez as he emerged from the flame unharmed. His ability to evade elemental attacks was quite uncanny . Spinning , weaving , and dodging the brunt of a fiery wave was second nature to him. " That display will surely gain the baroness's attention, as well as those guardsmen that seem to be milling on the dock. A perfect start to this battle I think !"

The creature snarled and and began weaving arcane symbols in the air. Martinez felt another attack coming, he could evade it if it was an area effect elemental spell, dodge it if it was a more direct attack, or the stone of Almarth could negate it if it was a mental strike . As he awaited the attack, he wondered briefly how he arrived here. Normally he was resistant to magic , unless he choose to mentally lower his defenses . Only an artifact similar to the Ivory Lady's strange axe would be able to pluck him from the harbor district to the barge he was on. Martinez wondered if the creature had an item or perhaps he had looted something inadvertently in the Rakshasa lair. He briefly opened his pack, and only one item caught his attention, a dark leathery scroll with illegible writing on it.

The striped house cat creature named Mogombo stopped mid spell and floundered his attack when he briefly glance the scroll. "The black scroll….how dare you possess my black scroll…..", it stammered.

"Oh..this thing? It's valuable I take it? Is it buy my buddies and I a round of drinks expensive, or are we talking brand new vorpal blade for Martinez , type of bucks?", inquired the duelist happily.

Faced with the scroll directly, the creature seemed hesitant at using his magic against the duelist possessing his scroll, instead it grew its claws several inches in length and growled a rumbling battle cry. Martinez was almost deafened by its anger, but was delighted in the sound. He was sure everyone on the docks could have heard it. They would all watch him triumph over this creature and heap praises on him afterwards.

The duelist pondered using his daggers or crossbow. The arbalest was more effective, but the daggers much more showy. He opted to go for his blades. He flicked his wrists and produced his two blessed daggers. He gave them both a fancy flourish before he beamed a smile at the weakly thrashing baroness in the water. She didn't look so good, but she was most likely blinded by his dashing skill he thought.

"Let us begin! Fame , fortune, destiny and the swooning baroness awaits! ", bragged the duelist.

* * *

Jimmy peered from the hold and saw the Rakshasa lord move inhumanly fast against his master. He didn't know how Martinez got there, but was glad that he did. The creature's first strike was like a blur and the duelist barely managed to block it with his dagger. The second claw was a wide sweep, which his master barely ducked.

Jimmy knew his master was one of the finest knife fighters around, but surprisingly he seemed over matched by this monster. The creature's first swing had recovered, while Martinez was still ducking, and it gave a clawed uppercut to the duelist's head. Martinez somehow scampered back before his head was ripped off, but the sharp claws still managed to rake and shred the armor on his chest, sending him flying back and crashing to the deck of the barge.

"It seems your fighting skill is no match for your incessant babbling. ", noted the Rakshasa lord as he gazed down on his foe.

Martinez true to form, rolled into a ball before springing acrobatically to his feet. " You're a fast one aren't you. However no one is faster than…", he began but the creature was atop of him once again. Instead of clawing the duelist to pieces, it simply gave him what Jimmy knew was a flying knee to his head.

Jimmy had seen Sir Jose use such a maneuver on the rare occasion he used his Daros Lucha and knew it was a finishing move. His master would be hard pressed to recover from such an attack.

Martinez tumbled to the deck once again. Jimmy saw the knee had impacted on his nose and had broken it. That should have been it, but the duelist rose once again. His face was a mess, but he smiled through the blood and raised a bloody dagger in response to the Rakshasa's lord last attack.

The creature stumbled a bit as it noticed the blood dripping from his leg. Jimmy's heart jumped as he knew it would be unable to use its speed as effectively as it had before. The young demon hunter's heart then dropped as the Rakshasa lord intoned a spell, and began flying instead.

It gave another deafening roar before swooping upward. Martinez took the opportunity and miraculously produced his hidden arbalest. Jimmy was still unsure how his master did it. He at first assumed it was hidden in his sleeves, but the weapon was too big to hide in his master's tight clothing. He wondered if it was in several parts that he quickly assembled, or did he have some magical enchanted clothing that hid his weapon. Whatever the reason, the duelist produced his deadly weapon and fired twin bolts at the creature. The Rakshasa twisted in the air, dodging one , but the other struck it in the side. It growled, before diving at the duelist.

Jimmy thought his master should have dodged, but instead he flipped a switch on his arbalest and a bayonet sprang from it. He waited for the creature and at the last moment stabbed upwards with it. The monster blinked from existence and appeared behind the duelist, before Jimmy could shout a warning it slashed at Martinez's back. The man swiveled like a top while dropping his crossbow to the ground. He once again produced his daggers and barely managed to parry the successive blows of his foe. Jimmy saw that each strike drove his master back and a few slashes had evaded his defenses and ripped his armor and flesh to ribbons. Despite his wounds Martinez fought back bravely. Finally the beast unexpectedly lunged its jaw forwards and bit the duelist in the arm. Martinez gasped in pain and dropped one of his blades before he was shaken violently and thrown to the edge of the barge. Jimmy half expected his master to once again roll with the throw and spring to his feet, but the man slammed heavily into the railing and weakly scrambled to his feet.

"Where is your arrogant chatter now , human? Where is your unfounded confidence? Please continue to boast about how you will defeat me before your gathered onlookers! ", declared the Rakshasa lord loudly. "I will tear your skull and spine from your body as a trophy. I will perhaps fashion them into a flail of some sorts, one which I will be sure to beat Sardar Milan to death with it, after I have attained godhood. You have been amusing but this ends now ! "

Jimmy saw the creature was preoccupied with its gloating and saw his chance. He scrambled from the hold and onto the deck. Instead of jumping for the water he dived for the crossbow his master had dropped. While most crossbows had to be loaded before firing, Jimmy knew his master's had a small magazine with bolts. He wasn't sure how to operate it but he had watched him use it on many occasions and he hoped he was able to mimic him correctly. The weapon was heavy in his hand as only one new bolt slid in place of the double shot weapon. Jimmy had little time, took aim and fired.

The bolt flew true, but the creature was fast. It somehow sensed the attack, and weaved to the side. Jimmy's attack only grazed the creature , barely drawing any blood. The monster turned his head towards him and Jimmy was paralyzed with fear. Though he was taught to ignore this most primal instinct, all his training vanished under the creature's baleful withering gaze. "Ahh…the rat reveals itself. You are the sage creature that aided the noble Nashput hearts to escape are you not. Your torture will last till I recover and slay your comrades. In the end, you will beg me to slay them so your torment will end. I will take great… urkkk…"

The Rakshasa lord stopped in mid-sentence. A foot of blessed steel appeared out of his throat, before withdrawing and appearing out of his chest stomach, and finally back through its eye. The sequence of events took a fraction of a second and Jimmy and the Rakshasa lord were both stunned by how brutal and final the attack had been. The Rakshasa lord began to protest, but its lungs were already filling with its black blood . It feebly began to incant a spell, but instead it fell lifeless on the barge. Jimmy knew his master was good in a fight, but absolutely deadly when his opponent was even momentarily distracted.

Jimmy was speechless for a second, but than his youthful enthusiasm returned. "That was AWESOME! ", he declared.

Martinez looked a bit surprised to find his young apprentice on the barge but he nodded and pointed at his face. "How's my nose? Is it broken badly? I don't want the baroness seeing me with a broken face. ", he asked in a concerned voice.


	13. Chapter 13

Lady Stille sputtered as vitality flowed through her and her lungs filled with air once again. She gasped for air as she floundered on the small row boat.

" Did we win? Is…Is Jimmy safe? ", she hacked as that was the last thing she remembered before losing consciousness.

"I sent Greenpaw to keep an eye on that werefox and those kids you rescued. As for Jimmy, take a look for yourself. ", said a deep reassuring voice.

Stille glanced side to side in confusion before spotting the large barge anchored in the water. She could see what could only be the preening and strutting Martinez standing victoriously on the vessel, encouraging applause and cheers from several longships of guards that were even now grappling and boarding the vessel. She wasn't sure how he got there, but was glad he was, since next to him was young Jim. Small, scared, and thankfully safe.

The baroness breathed a sigh of relief, and then remembered where she was and more importantly who she was.

"I'm…I'm sorry. ", she stuttered, as a deep shame filled her. "I'm sorry for deceiving you about what I am. I'm sorry for tonight, for flirting and toying with your emotions. This has all been a mistake."

A finger was placed to her lips. Stille stopped talking and looked into her rescuer's scanning eyes. She expected to see disdain, anger, or even pity, but strangely all she saw was a sense of relief.

"Thank Nirrodin you're all right. I wasn't sure if my divine power would be able to revive you. ", Sir Jose said as he took off his tabard and placed it over her.

Stille suddenly realized her disheveled and ragged appearance and snatched the garment to hide herself behind. She knew it was over now. It was all out in the open. What she really was and the deception she had pulled on everyone. She could feel the paladin's gaze penetrate through her. Any doubts he had before of her were sure to be dispelled by her horns, fangs, teeth, tail…..wings… All her fiendish traits were plain to see. She wasn't sure what to say at the moment, she was too exhausted from her near ordeal to argue her circumstances. She simply waited silently for his accusations of betrayal.

The paired sat awkwardly in the row boat, for what seemed like minutes.

"It's my eyes. I can see that look in your face, you don't trust my eyes. ", apologized Sir Jose at last.

Stille was a bit puzzled. She had expected an angrier response. "You know my darkest secret now. What will you do now? ", she asked.

Jose shook his head in disappointment. "It pains me that you still don't trust me. You still expect the worst from me. I know we haven't been the closest of adventure companions, but I hoped you expect more of me. I would never turn over a companion, especially not after we fought together tonight…especially not one that …."

Stille was taken back and instinctively drew the tabard closer to her. She wanted to take this opportunity to take flight once again, but instead found herself drawing closer to Jose.

"Thank you. Thank you for not revealing me. ", she said slowly considering her words. "You won't have to keep this secret forever. I understand. I'll use this opportunity to flee from the city. " She could attempt to hide or deny her true heritage, but she had kept her secret for too long. She would miss her life, her friends and hoped only that her children would be free of her curse. She still felt weak, but still had strength to spread her wings.

Jose grabbed Stille and held her in place. He then reached out to Stille's and brushed a wet errant strand of hair from her face. With her face unobstructed he directed his burning vision towards her. "You say it as if it was some great burden. We both have pasts that we are not proud of. Your blood, my low born family. You think I am being complacent to some great evil , that I am helping to mask an abomination by letting it escape. Nothing could be further than the truth. I saw your actions tonight. I saw how you risked your life, risked your secret to attempt to save Jimmy and those other children. You and I aren't as different as you think. "

Stille was speechless. She stared into his burning eyes and did not see the harsh judgements she had expected to find there. Before she could respond, Jose drew her in and kissed her deeply. The baroness was taken by surprise and resisted, but his strong grip proved too great. She was a grandmother, they hardly knew each other , she was a half demon while he was a paladin. She considered these excuses briefly but then let them go and returned the paladin's embrace.

* * *

"Oh this is ridiculous. I'm tired of these lame excuses. Where is everyone?", complained Martinez as he anxiously awaited his reward in Admral Edmund's foyer . He had no idea where most of his other companions, Stille, Jose, or even his faithful sidekick was at that moment.

Jimmy nodded in agreement. "I just want to get my reward and get outta here. I want to know if Lally and Sammy are ok."

"I personally escorted the exalted Lalit and Sampada to safety. Once again they are under the protection of the House of Nashput. ", replied a mousy looking young red haired girl next to the massive form of Sir Jose's mount Greenpaw. Martinez thought she looked familiar but couldn't quite place where he had encountered her before.

"Who the hell are you? ", asked Martinez suspiciously.

"Do not take that tone with me. I am under the protection of the noble Sir Jose. To insult me is to incur his wrath. ", she said proudly while daring a response from the duelist.

"WOOF", agreed Greenpaw.

Martinez shrugged, it didn't surprise him that his half drunk companion recruited some gutter tramp to take care of his stuff. His agave juice swilling compatriot was probably jealous of the deal he had with Jimmy, and had hired someone to carry his stuff as well.

"Is Lally and Sammy in trouble? Why are they holding them?" asked Jimmy once again.

Before anyone could answer the main Foyer doors opened. Admiral Edmund in full Grommish uniform entered with a small honor guard. Martinez bowed to his host, and signalled Jimmy to do the same. After the formalities were exchanged, Sardar Milan appeared. The Nashput noble was radiant in his dress, adorned with gems , jewels and rare cloths. Martinez would have assumed he was the Emperor of all of Vinnraj if he didn't already know he was but a minor aristocrat in that incredibly wealthy land.

Instead of allowing Martinez to bow towards him, the Sardar instead bowed humbly towards the duelist. "All of Nashput owes you a debt of gratitude. I do not know how, but you and your minions have saved Prince Lalit, ridded us of an ancient enemy, and brought back my dear beloved Sampada back to us. "

"Wait…Sampada is Sammy right?", asked Jimmy. Martinez cuffed the boy on the back of the head to silence him.

"A simple demon hunter like myself is pleased to have rendered service to your noble house. ", flattered Martinez. The duelist knew that these noble snobs like praise and the whole humble act, and he was practiced enough to play their little games, at least till he got paid.

The Sardar smiled but then looked puzzled. "Your massive companions has shrunk I see. ", jested the Vinnraj noble.

Martinez laughed ." No, this is my apprentice young Jim. I do not know where my man at arms is. "

Admiral Edmund rubbed his chin. "My old friend the Ivory Lady is apparently in town. She did mention that she was being shown the sights by a half giant demon hunter. I doubt there could be too many half giant demon hunters in town. "

Martinez's brow furrowed but then he smirked. He thought Raoul mentioned there was too great of an age difference between himself and Ivy, the duelist guessed the half giant must have reconsidered. Whatever those two were doing, he hoped that Ivy would at least be available so he could introduce Lady Stille to her. He wanted her here so she could see him rubbing shoulders with such famous and powerful people. He was sure that he could score some points with the minor baroness and appeased her sense to pretend to be important, and was a bit perplexed to find her not here.

"I am disappointed that the lovely Lady Stille and her guardian could not grace us with their presence. I've been told that they defeated many foes on the harbor and battled the Rakshasa around town. ", noted the Sardar, as he seemed to echo Martinez's thoughts.

"Woof! ", barked Greenpaw.

The red haired urchin next to the dog perked an ear and nodded . " Sir Jose and Lady Stille are both busy, meditating from the trials they faced. "

Martinez gave her a suspicious look. Who the hell was she again? Stille and Jose both were both stalwart companions, but they didn't seem to connect with each other. For the last year, they seemed friendly enough to each other, but the duelist definitely noticed the fact that they seemed to tolerate each other rather than share the camaraderie the rest of them had. Martinez would rather the Lady Stille be here at this presentation, but relented that at least the baroness and his countryman were at least bonding .

"A shame that she could not make it, Princess Sampada could have benifited from meeting with such a fair and refined lady. ", sighed Sardar Milan.

"Princess? ", asked Jimmy while scratching his head.

"Ahh, yes. Here she comes now. I admit I was a bit shocked to see her once again, and was a bit disappointed to find she had grown up in such a crude manner, but all my reservations were dispelled when the royal beauticians cleaned her up so to speak. Prince Lalit is still recovering from his trials, but the Princess has requested to meet with her rescuers personally.", smiled Milan broadly with a small tear in his eye.

The Admiral and the Sardar both parted ways, as a tall young girl with olive skin and a long gem studded white dress entered. She had long braided dark hair, smooth perfect skin, and walked with a regal poise. A perfect prim and proper young princess thought Martinez approvingly as he judged her with his seasoned eye. From his initial impression of her, he guessed she would grow up to be quite the beauty someday.

The Princess Sampada bowed to Martinez, but then suddenly lost all her composure. Her face broke out into a large grin and she ran towards the duelist. Martinez was use to such behavior from young women but did not expect it from a princess. He awaited her embrace, but was surprised when she ran past him and hugged Jimmy instead.

"JIMMY! You made it! I wasn't sure what happened after Kit and the big dog lead us to safety! ", she giggled as she hugged the shocked boy once again and planted a big kiss on his cheek.

Jimmy seemed stunned but quickly recovered. To Martinez's surprise, the red faced young boy pushed the princess away." WAIT! ALL THIS TIME, YOU'RE A GIRL?! "

Martinez shook his head then pulled his foolish apprentice towards him. Princess Sampada giggled and winked at Jimmy who still seemed confused by the whole affair. "Jimmy ole boy, it looks like we have to work on your observation and perception skills. "

* * *

Young Prince Lalit smiled as he petted the mongoose Chit. The small furry creature made comforting clicking noises as it curled in his lap. Mongooses were used to ward against snakes and evil spirits, and this little guy did his job well he thought.

So much had happened recently, that Lalit had to take a rest from his studies and diplomatic functions. The attack on his person by the Rakshasa, his rescue by the hero Jimmez , and most importantly his reunion with his long lost sister Sampada . Lalit was overjoyed to find that the young guard that spoke his language turned out to be his sister . He chastised himself for not seeing it earlier. The fact that they both had similar wards placed on them by the Swami's of Vinnraj should have tipped him off earlier, but he admitted that he other things on his mind. Danger seemed to dog their every turn , and he was sure he would have had his heart eaten by the Rakshasa lord if it weren't for the courage and bravery of Jimmez.

After his harrowing escapes and his experiences on the streets of Grom City , Lalit knew that it was a miracle he was alive. His close contact with the commoners of the city had changed his view on those he considered a lower caste than himself. He regretted mistreating his major domo so callously and made note to mention to his uncle the man's bravery. He also garnered an appreciation of life outside his gilded cage. It was so chaotic, so frightening, yet exciting nonetheless. If security permitted, he would like more escorted excursions into the world outside his studies.

Lalit knew that with Sampada recovered to their Royal House, she would claim the throne before he would, but it mattered little to him. He considered himself more a scholar than a ruler, and after his recent escapades he proudly considered himself an adventurer as well. He envisioned himself in the near future as a scholar that travelled to lost ruins and ancient tombs to discover ancient lore, not a bookworm in some old stuffy library. If he was crowned Maharajah of Nashput his dream would be impossible of course, so he was quite content that his quite capable sister would inherit the throne. He could well imagine that she would make a worthy ruler , while he would someday be a famous explorer. It wouldn't be easy , but perhaps he could recruit Jimmez to assist him in the future. The lad was only a few years older than him, but he was already quite skilled, worldly , and was already larger than life. He hoped to emulate that young hero one day.

Prince Lalit sighed, uncle would take them back to Nashput soon, now that the danger was over. He would miss this city he thought, but their presence was needed back in Nashput. He could well imagine the political maneuverings, and diplomatic dangers that awaited them. Lalit smiled, after his recent experiences he was ready for any challenge that loomed ahead.


End file.
